Kiss me
by JosephineMichelleC
Summary: Katniss is the princess of a dying kingdom. The kingdom thinks that Katniss is dead and is ruled by Katniss evil stepmother. One day Katniss flees and end up meeting seven huntsman. Together with them Katniss plan s to take back her kingdom and restore peace, but to do that she needs help from another kingdom. In that kingdom lives a prince, who's mother demands he gets married.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"How I wish into the deepest to have a daughter with skin white as snow, hair black as ebony and lips red as the color of the three drops of blood that is now dripping down on the windowsill from my finger". The beautiful young queen is sitting by the window. She just now stops sewing when she pricks her finger with the needle she's holding and she admires the three colors before her onto the windowsill. Snow and blood onto the ebony colored sill.

Soon after making her wish the queen gives birth to a beautiful baby girl with all those qualities she wished for her daughter. The king and queen named their newborn baby Katniss. Unfortunately the queen could not live to see her baby girl. She dies while giving birth to her beautiful baby girl.

One year after Katniss birth the king remarries to a beautiful but vain woman.

After the king suddenly dies, the queen is alone to raise Katniss which she have nothing against.

Each day the queen asks her magic mirror the same question:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

The mirror always answered as she wished, because this magic mirror can not tell a lie.

 _"My queen you're the fairest of them all"._

Six years pass. Katniss grows and glows. She becomes more and more beautiful each day that passes by. Her hair becomes longer and darker, her lips even more red as blood and skin white as snow. The kingdom adores little Katniss and they'd love to see her grow up to a beautiful young woman.

On the day of Katniss seventh birthday the queen yet again asks the mirror:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

Because the mirror can't lie, he tells the queen the truth.

" _My queen, you are the fairest here, but now a beautiful girl I see, skin white as snow, hair black as ebony and lips red as blood_ ".

The queen immediately knows who the mirror is talking about. Katniss. She takes away all of Katniss beautiful dresses and dress her in torn clothes and put her into wash and scrub. She took away everything Katniss had. Everything Katniss knew.

The one thing she couldn't take away, were Katniss beauty and hope. Hope that one day, everything would fall into place.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _Katniss_

As I scrub the first step of the stone staircase I feel a drop of sweat land onto the back of my hand. It's warm and I feel like I'm going to faint. The sun is high up on the sky and makes my sight a bit blurry. Sweat runs all over my back and I'm so thirsty.

This is what I do every day. Wash and scrub. Wash and scrub. Wash and scrub. Wash and scrub the whole castle. And whenever I finish, I have to start all over again because it's as dirty as it was before I cleaned it. This has been my work ever since I turned seven. The day after my seventh birthday. That's when my stepmother became real evil. She took away all of my clothes, and dressed me in torn dresses. On my feet I don't have anything. Not anything at all. I'm always barefoot and have to watch where I'm putting my feet. They burn on the hot stones this castle is made of.

I throw the sponge into the bucket of water and sigh. _I hate this!_ I sit down on the step as I start massaging my small and swollen feet. My feet aren't really that big. They're embarrassing small. But they're mine and I'm proud.

I'm not gonna let my evil stepmother bring me down, which she always tries to do. But I'm not gonna let her. She already has enough power over me. I can never leave the castle. Not ever. I haven't seen the village ever since I was seven. I really want to see it.

But the wall is too high. The only thing I can see is the crowns if the high and green trees. Some of the trees are apple trees. Some of the apples are green, but the once my mouth is drooling and longing for to try, is the big red apples. They just look so juicy and tasty. You just want to take a big bite and feel all the flavors as you chew it and then let it slide down your throat to your stomach.

I continue to massage my small feet. They hurt so much. I sigh as I take out the sponge from the bucket and empties it from all the water, I throw out all of it on the stone floor beneath me, I need to scrub this anyways. I throw the sponge onto the step and carry up the bucket as I start to walk towards the water well. I take hook and hooks the bucket on it. I sink down the bucket in the well to take up more water.

I sigh at my life. Why is my life like this? Because my mother died giving birth to me? Because my father remarried? Because he died and my stepmother got stuck with me? But no. None of this fits. My stepmother was kind to me. She was kind before I turned seven. Then it all stopped just like that and she did this to me. But why? I really don't understand why?

I wanna go out and see the world. I don't to be stuck here for the rest of my life scrubbing the castle. I've even heard about another kingdom not far away from here. I wanna meet people. I wanna show them that I'm alive. They all think I'm dead. My stepmother told the kingdom that I died from a rare sickness. Why did she do that? I still don't understand that.

I take up the bucket again and walk back to the staircase. I sigh again. I put it down and walk over to the wall. The whole wall around the castle is covered with thorn, with tags longer and sharper than needles. I put one finger to it. I jerk away my hand one second later. I see three drops of blood drip down on the stone floor beneath me. Only three. Then it stops. _Wired._ I look up and down on the wall. It's impossible to climb here if you don't want to be laced. And I don't want that. I want to live so my life has a chance of getting better some day.

That's when I see it. I see a hole in the wall. It's big enough for me to crawl under. But there is a catch of course. The thorn. I put my fingers between the tags and try to move away the thorn from the hole. How come there's a hole here? Why have I never noticed this before? Well maybe because I haven't really looked...

Should I risk getting caught? But no one would even recognize me, because of all the dirt on my face, hands and feet. My dress is all dirty and torn, my hair, well it isn't as glossy as it used to be. I can't even remember when I had a shower last. Or well yeah I do. I do get one every month. But only one per month and no more. So I'm not in my cleanest state right know either. I don't really look like a princess. I do have a shawl tied around my waist. It's the only thing I have left from my mother. The only thing I had in my mind to hide from my stepmother. But still. Should I take the risk? _Yes. I should take the risk_. I stand on my knees and crawl under the wall. My dress gets caught in the thorn and it rips even more as I climb through. When I get up on my feet I lose my breath.

"Oh my god..."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Katniss_

"Oh my god..." I've never ever seen anything this beautiful. This must be taken right out of a fairytale. Right outside the wall, there is a beautiful meadow, with hills not too big but not too small. The apple trees are standing everywhere and are so big and beautiful. I run up to the biggest one of them all. 0I start to climb up in the tree. I haven't climbed a tree since I was six, so it surprises me that I'm actually good at it. When I come up to the crown, I sit on a branch. I stretch my arms and grab an apple that's even bigger than my own hand. It looks so good. And I'm so hungry. I put it to my lips, feeling a slight cold from the apple to my lips. I open my mouth and bury my teeth in it, feeling all the flavors right here without needing to swallow. I rip off the bit and start chewing it. The flavors explodes like a bomb in my mouth and I let out a sound of pleasure as I chew the fruit.

I don't know how long time it takes for me to eat the apple, but I'm sure it was a real long time, as big as it was. I mean seriously, it was almost bigger than my head! Now I want to look around. I carefully climb back down. I jump from the last branch, and to my surprise I land gracefully and lightly in the soft bright green grass.

I start to walk towards the path that's not far away from the meadow. I walk out on the stone path and walk along it. As I walk a start to see a village. Oh this has be our village. I haven't seen it since I was seven.

I stop and take my shawl from my waist. I put the shawl over my head. I don't make a kong or anything like that, I just let it lie there and I have the ends around my arms. I just want to cover a bit of myself up.

I continue to walk the path. I walk into the village and it's full of small and cute stores, although, it doesn't look like all of them are open. AS lot of the look closed up with planks and everything. I can smell baked bread. Is there a bakery here?

I walk and look around. Taking little thing I see in my mind. I don't want to forget this. This is the most incredible I've seen in so many years. But... I getv a feeling that everything is not as it seems. I'm sure I were here when I was younger, but never since I turned seven. It's not like I remember it to be. It looks more ... destoryed.

I almost get a bit angry. Why wouldn't my stepmother let me go out? What did I ever do to her? I forget to watch where I go, and so I stumble over something and falls to the ground. "Ouch..." I mumble. Someone helps me up. "Oh thank you so much sir", I say.

"No problem young lady", he chuckles. "Just watch where you put those pretty little feet".

I laugh at that. I think he's a bit drunk, but he does not seem dangerous. The odd thing though is that he's not surprised by the fact that I don't wear shoes or that I'm really dirty and in a torn dress. In fact, _he's_ clothes are torn, _he's_ dirty and _he_ has no shoes. Now when I come to think about it, everyone in the village has clothes like that and looks like that. I don't remember it being like this when I were here all those years ago. The part I remember was a village full of life and song, laughter and kids happy shouting. I remember that I had a friend here, what was her name again? Oh it starts with an M... Hm... Mad ... Madge? Madge! Yes! That was her name. Oh I wonder what happened to her and what happened to this village.

The man is already on his way. I run after him. "Um... Excuse me sir", I say and he stops.

I stop in front of him.

"Yes?"

"Um... What's your name?" I ask.

"Oh, my mistake, I'm Haymitch Abernathy", he tells me, sounding drunk and with his stinking breath. "And you are?"

I don't want to tell him my name. I don't want anyone to know who I am. "I'm Eleanor Giveaway", I say.

"Well Eleanor, it was nice to meet you", he says and hiccup.

He drops the bottle and it breaks into a million prices. "Yeah, same to you Mr. Abernathy", I say.

"Oh please, just call me Haymitch everyone else does", he chuckles drunk.

"Oh... Okay, um... Haymitch what happened here?" I ask.

"With what?" He asks.

"Well I lived here when I was about six or seven, then we kind off moved to another village, and now we're here again", I say.

"Well, you should've just stayed away, now when you're back, there's no way to leave", Haymitch says, drunk with a hiccup and then he falls on his butt.

He starts crying. "Oh, sir, why are you crying?" I ask and crouch beside him, putting a hand onto his shoulder.

"That sweet girl ... And now she's dead, died ten years ago", he says and hiccup.

"Who?" I ask carefully.

He looks up at me. Looking me straight into my gray eyes. I see that he has the same eye color as I do. That's weird. "The princess", he says in a dark and drunk voice.

I open my mouth to say something, but I get interrupted by a girl. "Haymitch! Leave this girl alone you drunk shitbag and go get some sleep will yah!"

I turn around and see a blond girl come walking towards me and Haymitch. Do I know her? She looks familiar.

"I did not do her anything, she fell over, I helped her and we started to talk", Haymitch defends himself.

The girl rolls her eyes. "Just go get some sleep", she says irritated.

Haymitch sighs and nods. He puts both of his palms onto the ground as he helps himself up from the dirt very clumsy. He wanders off on very unsteady legs. The girl and I look after him as he walks. When he's out of sight the girl turns towards me. "Just don't pay attention to him, he's the village drunk, although no one really knows where he gets the money to buy he's alcohol", she says thoughtfully in the end. I nod, not saying anything. "And you are?" She asks and looks at me with unsure eye but also with traces of recognition.

"Eh... Eleanor Giveaway", I say.

"Madge Undersee", the girl says and reaches me her hand.

My yaw drops. Madge? _Madge?_ The girl I was best friends with when we were kids? I look closer at her. I see those blond locks that is set up in a dirty torn light blue ribbon. She has a light blue torn and dirty dress. She doesn't have any shoes, and her feet are as dirty as mine. She has traces of black under her eyes that only means that she can't be sleeping very well, I recognize them, because I have them as well. When I look at her. I see her as a kid. I remember what she looked like when she were a kid. She had long flowing hair set up in a light blue silk ribbon. She had dresses in every color but her favorite and the one she used the most were a small light blue one with pink spots. She always smiled, showing off her dimples and her chubby pink cheeks. There was always a glow in her blue eyes. Now when I look at her, only ten years later, that smile and that glow is long gone and it looks like she has been living a really hard life now when she stands here in front of me.

She looks at me with the same look that I look at her with. "Do ... Do I ... Know you?" She asks unsure.

I just look at her. What should I say?

"I don't think so, I just moved here so", I say.

"Oh well I'm sorry to hear that", she says with a pity voice. "There's no turning back now".

"Yeah he said that too, what's going on here?" I ask.

"Wanna go on a walk?" She asks.

I nod.

We walk back out on that meadow and sit under an apple tree, both with one big apple in our hands. "It started like ten years ago", Madge begins. "At first it was really pretty here. In the village I mean. We didn't live like rats, we did not starve, but then the queen tells us that the princess died in a really rare disease and everything turned into _this_ ".

I feel a lump in my stomach.

"I were friends with the princess, best friends actually, and then she just died, just like that! I didn't even know she was _sick_ , why didn't she tell me, you know?" Madge says an I see one single tear flow down her left cheek.

I can't do this. I just can't. Not to her. Not to Madge. She deserves to know the truth. "Madge she ... _I_ did not die", I say.

Madge looks at me confused. "What are you..." She says but I interrupt her.

"I'm princess Katniss", I say as I take off the shawl from my head and my hair is fully visible.

"Lips red as blood, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow..." Madge mumbles, she looks me in my eyes. "Katniss?"

I nod. "Oh my god!" She cries and puts her arms as around me in a tight hug.

I start to cry as well, I've got my best friend back. Madge Undersee. "Why did the evil queen tell us you were dead?" She asks.

"I don't really know", I say, because I really don't.

"But what have you been doing?" she asks.

"Long story", I mumble.

"I've got time", she says.

And so I start to tell her everything.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Katniss_

I realize that the sun has started to work its way down. "Oh no!" I exclaim and jump up on my feet.

Madge stands up beside me. "What's wrong?" She asks.

"I really have to go back now", I say. "I'm already in a deep deep hole, I can't be outside the wall and now I've not done what I'm suppose to do".

Madge looks at me. "You mean scrubbing the castle?" She asks and I nod. "That's not a _princess_ job", Madge mumbles angrily.

Madge got really upset with my story and hers didn't exactly make me happy either.

I mean now I know that my evil stepmother, the queen, has put up a so high taxes, that the people now starve because the give the queen all their money. And that's way the village looks as it does. All the bread from the bakery goes to the castle, the people only get the privilege of smelling the scent.

"Well, it's _my_ job", I shrug. "And I really gotta go now!" I say and start to run towards the hole.

"Wait! Katniss am I ever gonna see you again?" Madge shout after me.

"Oh I don't know", I shout back, as I round the wall and finally see my hole.

I fall down on my knees and get into the hole. I start to feel sick when I'm on the other side again. I don't want to be here. I want to be outside. I want to see stuff. Not be stuck here!

I run up to the bucket and start scrubbing. I scrub so much and fast that my fingers literary starts to bleed.

This doesn't work anymore. I've seen too much of the outside world. I can't be kept a prisoner like this anymore. I just can't. When the sun finally is gone, I throw away the sponge and I kick the bucket as hard as I possibly can and it flies away. I look up and see my stepmother in the window. When she sees me, she closes the curtains. I make an ugly grimace to the curtains and hear someone clear their throat behind me, so I turn around.

My maid. Levine. She's older then me. She were my mothers maid before, then when she died, my father made her to my maid instead. But then he died. I don't think that my stepmother really care if I have one. Levine can't say anything or do anything, she's the queen and Levine can't argue against her. So if she's my maid, it doesn't really matter. "Oh hey Levine", I say and smile shyly because she must have seen the ugly grimace.

"Now we're not gonna be like that, sweetheart", Levine says, laughing.

Levine were pretty young when she became my mothers maid. She were only fifteen. So she's only thirty two years. I can talk to about anything with her, and I feel most comfortable in her presence than other in the castle. We only have maids and stuff, but the others are really mean to me, so I don't like them. Levine is beautiful. She wears maid dresses, yes. But not a torn one like me. I also have a maid dress, but mine is so torn it's almost impossible to wear. I manage because I have no other option.

"Yes we are, 'cause I hate that evil women, I mean just look at what she did to our village!" I say angry without thinking.

Levine's eyes grow big and she looks terrified. "How do you...?" She whispers.

I sigh and tell her everything. She only looks more and more terrified, when I tell her everything about that Haymitch guy, about the village and about Madge.

"So they don't know who you are?" She asks with big eyes.

"Yes I told Madge but no one else knows, I told you, they think I'm a girl that moved here today and that my name is Eleanor Giveaway", I say.

"Why did you tell that Madge girl?" Levine asks.

"As I said, she were my best friend, I couldn't do that to her, she thought I was _dead_ and I'm _not_ ", I say. "Why would the queen say something that is so untrue?"

"I don't know sweetheart, but you do understand that you can't see her again right?" She asks, brushing a lock of hair out of my eyes.

I back away from her. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"You can't go to the village one more time, _no one_ can see you, Katniss", she says.

I feel tears flow down my cheeks. I can't go out to the village? But I've just been there one time. That's far to little time. I haven't seen everything.

"But I can't be kept as a prisoner in my own castle anymore!" I say with higher voice. "I just can't! I have to get away! I want to see stuff, tell all of the people in the village that I'm not dead, that I'm as alive as them!"

'"But Katniss... They're not really alive as you think, they're poor and they starve, they have to watch their children die in illnesses", Levine says.

"I'm not alive either in such case, how is this life _living_?!" I ask and storm away and into the big doors that leads into the castle.

I can't take this anymore. I have to think of a way to get out. Maybe I can just run away. Not that my evil stepmother will be worried or anything but she would be mad, because I would ruin her plans, whatever they are.

"Oh Katniss dear?" I hear behind me in a pretend sugar sweet voice.

Ugh. Not _her_. Not _now_.

I paste a fake smile on my face before I turn around. "Hello stepmother", I say, respectfully. "My fair lady".

"Hello", she says. "You're getting older now dear, would you want to see the outside world? I've kept you in here to protect you for the evil outside the walls".

 _The only evil terrible enough is you, witch!_ I think to myself while the fake smile is still pasted on my face.

"Yes stepmother I would, but I know that you only wanted to protect me", I say. My lady fair would do nothing to harm me. I do know that, graciousness".

"Tomorrow you are allowed to walk out but only with a huntsman with you as a guard", she says.

Wait what?! Excuse me? Is this a joke or something? Is she serious? Is she allowing me to go outside the wall? Is she sick? This can't be _right_!

"Oh thank you sooo much stepmother!" I say pretend to be happy and hug her. She don't hug me back.

"Yeah okay, goodnight Katniss", she says and walks away.

"Oh goodnight beloved stepmother", I say. I have to talk to her this way. No really, she's had people teach me how to talk to her. That's insane, right?

Why is she letting me go out now though? Is she up to something? But what could it be? I need to have a huntsman with me as a guard, and of course she's gonna tell me that I can't let anyone know who I am tomorrow. There's something fishy going on here. Why would she just ask me if I want to see the outside world?

Wait a minute... Does she know that I've been outside the wall? Did she see me crawl through the hole? If she did it's _so_ not good and I'm _so_ dead!

But still... I wonder why she would let me go just like that tomorrow. If she doesn't know that I've already been outside, what is her plan? And she would never do anything nice for me, she _hates_ me.

I don't know if I trust this little trip I'm going on tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Katniss_

I'm dressed in a very beautiful dress. It's so beautiful that my breath stops. I'm not going yet though, so I just wander in the castle. I'm careful not to let anyone see me, I don't want to get into trouble. But I haven't really had a chance to look around since I was a little girl, and I want to see. It's my castle, even though my crazy stupid stepmother think it's her castle.

Somewhere in the more distant part of the castle I find stairs that leads up to an attic. At first I'm unsure of what to do, because honestly, this part of the castle creeps me out. I remember it though. I think I used to have my old room in this part of the castle. I leave the attic to be, I'm better off not going up there and look around more in this area. I find a door, that looks the most dirtiest. I try to open it, but I can't, it's locked.

I take one hairpin from my hair and try to lock up the door. I know it's foolish, but what else am I gonna try? It's not so much more I can do, and I want to open it. But I can't. I lose patience. I don't think anyone hears me here anyways. I think it may be too far away from where people in the castle are allowed to be. And yes, I remember that this part is _strictly_ forbidden. But I don't remember why, I don't even the wicked queen gave us a reason.

I raise my leg and kick as hard as I possibly can on the door and it breaks open. The door slides slowly into the room a and I push it as I walk in. This is the room of a child. A girl. Me. This is _my_ old room. Pink everywhere, although now, it's really dusty. No one has been inside of this room for ten years. I get tears in my eyes, but I don't cry. I look around, everything is exactly where I put it before I walked out for the very last time.

I walk up to the bed. I sit down and look at the photo I have on the night stand. It's a photo I have of my father and I'm sitting in my fathers lap, kissing his cheek and he hugs me tight, never letting go. I was one, but I was pretty big and could manage a wet kiss on my fathers cheek. My hair had just started to grow a lot. I look bigger than one, maybe two, yeah, two. Tears are streaming down my face, but I quickly wipe them away with the back of my hand.

He loved me very much, that much is clear in his eyes. My daddy...

When I turn my head I see a big box. I walk up to it and stand on my knees. _Katniss_! It says on the box with a rough handwriting. I guess that my stepmother wrote that herself. I open the box and find some of my old toys and hair ribbons. But I find a one other thing. A torn old photo. I pick it up, and my heart drops to my stomach. _My mother_. I feel the tears come back. I quickly put the photo in the little pocket on my chest.

I stand up and run out of the room. I don't even bother to close the door, it's broken anyway. I run out of the forbidden corridor and into the big hall, where I'm suppose to meet up with the huntsman that is going to come with me as a 'guard'. I sit down on a chair waiting for like five minutes before my evil stepmother and a huntsman comes walking into the big hall.

I hurry to walk to meet them. When I come up to them, I bow before my stepmother. "It is an honor to see you again my beloved stepmother, as always", I say casually. God I hate talking to her like this. My teachers that taught me to talk like this, didn't seem to like it either, but they were stuck teaching me, and I'm stuck talking like this. Ugh.

"Yeah I know, now, I take for granted that you will be home in exactly four hours", my stepmother says.

I hold back a sigh. "Yes stepmother, if you say so, I will be home in exactly four hours", I say and bow again.

"Off you go", my stepmother says and gives the huntsman a look I can't read.

The huntsman bow before my stepmother. "Yes my queen", he says. He walks up the few steps between us and then he bows before me. "My princess", he says.

I keep myself from rolling my eyes as I'm forced to hook my arm around the huntsman's arm. We walk up to the big entrance and walk through the big door.

We walk through the big garden and to the gate. As we come outside the gate I see a horse. "Oooo a horse", I burst and run up to it.

I pet it. It's so beautiful. It's a black horse and he is white on the nose. Oh it's been so long since I've seen a living horse. The huntsman helps me up at the back of the horse and then sit up in front of me, so he can lead the horse. As the horse run and run, I feel the wind caress my face and I close my eyes. I feel the cold wind brush through my hair, and I feel how much I like this.

We ride into the woods, and then the huntsman stop the horse and I jump down. I stand with my eyes closed, breathing in the fresh air. This is where I belong. Maybe not living in the woods. I'm sure I belong in the castle as well, I mean it's a part of me, and I am the princess, but I don't belong in the castle with my stepmother there, I belong in _freedom_. I walk into the woods a bit. I see a light stream in from an opening between the trees.

I run up and run through the trees and reach a small cute meadow, with beautiful flowers. I just lay down in the grass looking up at the sky. Right now I feel good about myself. But suddenly a shadow covers the sun. I lean on my elbows, and I see the huntsman. He's standing there, leaning over me... With a knife. What the hell? "What are you _doing_?" I say terrified.

He looks at me. He's hand shakes. He drops the knife. "No I can't", he says and falls down on his knees. "I can't follow this order, I just can't kill you".

"Why were you going to kill me in the first place?" I ask in a shaky voice.

"The queen gave me orders, she's green with envy because you're more beautiful than her, she breathes evil and she would do anything to be the most beautiful woman in the country", the huntsman tell me. "Run away, just run and run and don't _ever_ come back, she has to think you're dead, so run!"

He doesn't have to say that again. In less then a second I'm up on my feet and I start to run into the other part of the woods. Into the deeper and darker part if the woods.

I run and run. I run for hours, but as I stop to catch my breath, I hear something crack under my feet, and I don't have any time to run before I fall through the ground. I land hard on the ground beneath me, I'm even deeper into the dark woods now. This is actually creepy. I continue to walk, but then I stumble and hit my head. Everything turns darn before my eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Katniss_

As I open my eyes, I'm meet a warm sweet sunlight. I sit up and look around. It feels like I'm in a forest from fairytales. It's a cozy forest and I don't feel afraid anymore. I hear something in one of the bushes. "Who's there?" I ask then I see who it is. A sweet cute rabbit. He's so cute. It slowly jumps up to me. I pick it up and pet it and it seem to like it.

Suddenly I'm surrounded by animals. They don't seem dangerous. Not at all. They all seen so sweet. The squirrels are so cute. They're like so small and shy but when they come up to me, they bury down in my dress and one of them actually fell asleep.

But I see that the sun is going down soon. "I really need to find somewhere to sleep tonight", I mumble. I don't know how. But somehow the animals seem to understand what I just said. They start to walk away. They look after me and it seems like they want me to follow them. "Wow can I talk to animals?" I ask.

"Yes my dear you can". I scream when I see the owl talk to me. He sounded like a hundred year old man. The owl talk? Oh god. I'm mentally ill. The owl can't have talked just now. No, he's an _owl_ for god's sake.

"Okay you did not just talk, right?" I ask, looking at it. Oh my god, I really _am_ mentally ill.

"Yes. I did talk. Stop freaking out", the owl answers me.

But I do. I scream again. _What the hell?_ The owl can talk. "Animals can't talk", I point out.

"No. Other humans who would walk by wouldn't hear words from me. But you Katniss, you can", the owl says.

I scream again. I just can't believe that the owl is actually talking to me. Okay. What's really happening? I don't understand. "Don't scream Katniss", I hear a small voice say. I look down. The rabbit.

I jump. It talks as well? What is this? "Okay what's happening?" I ask.

"I can explain if you don't scream again", the owl says sour. _I made an owl angry?_ Oh god. I can't believe I just thought that .

"O-okay", I say.

"Well, it's not more complicated than to say that you have a gift, a gift you got from you mother, she as well could talk to animals", the owl says. "Other people who would walk by us right now, would only hear you talk and not me".

A gift? My mother could talk to animals as well? "O-okay, I... Oh okay I'm sorry I screamed, but you have to understand that I didn't know this", I say.

"Oh we do, it was just annoying hearing you scream", a deer says.

I'm about to scream again. But I hold the scream back. I don't want to scream again. Oh god. I can talk to animals. "Okay, no more screaming", I say and pick up the rabbit who's at my feet. "So do you know a place I could sleep in for the night?" I ask, it feels so weird, talking to animals as if they are people.

"We do, just follow us", an eager bird says that flies over my head, round and round and round.

I follow the animals and they take me deeper into the woods. I feel like I hear waterfalls. More than one. Suddenly they all stop and I look to see behind one of the bigger deer, a small cute house. It's placed in a little garden. And I don't mean that there's a fence or anything. No but it's surrounded by a mountain at the back of the house, and it's a small and cute waterfall, leading to a cute small river, with a mini bridge to cross it. There are no trees right by the house, no. It starts starts here where we are. We are just at the edge of the forest. But there are small bushes and a lot of flowers. "Ooo it's so cute", I say.

"It's a house", they say.

We walk up to the house. I just smile as I cross the bridge. It's too cute. I love it. It's really cute and it's small but not _too_ small. I try to open the door, and it's easy because it's not locked.

I walk inside and I smile to myself. It's so cute. Everything is so cute. It's messy, but not all too messy, but way too messy for me to handle.

Who's living in here? Maybe I can't talk to whom ever lives here and maybe they will let me live here. Maybe it's an old woman and her husband or something. I think that someone who's not so neatly lives here. Someone who does not care if it's messy in the house or not. Hm... "Well, I could live here if I have permission from the owners, but no way I could live in this mess", I say.

"Long live the princess", the owl mocks me.

Seriously. What is this? Am I getting mocked by an owl?

"Oh buhu, just because you're an owl!" I fight back.

"Well rather that then being a neat princess", the owl defends himself.

"Pfft, you say that now, but I don't think so if you would be a princess yourself Mr. I-know-it-all", I say offended.

God I feel like strangle this damn owl. He thinks he knows everything. He really does. All the way over here he was a real wiseacre. Ugh. Stupid owl. "Pfft at least I'm _smart_ ", the owl says.

"Okay that's _it_ mister!" I say and snatch him from the air. I try to strangle him but the moose saves him. Lucky owl.

"Your lucky your friend saved you stupid owl", I say

God I fight with an owl. Well that's something I never thought I could do. "Stop it you two!" The moose says. "Don't fight, okay? I know that everyone can't get along, but try to accept each other at least!"

I look at the owl with narrowed eyes. He looks at me with his eyes narrowed as well. "Fine", we both say at the same time.

"Now shake hand and wing", the deer says. She thinks she's wise because she's a mother. Her son is so cute though. It's the moose son as well.

I sigh. "No!" The owl says.

"Why would we?" I say.

"Because we are both your friends and we don't like it when you fight, so shake hand and wing!" One of the squirrels says.

I sigh again. I reach out my hand and the owl puts his wing into it and I shake it. "Happy?" We say at the same time.

"Yep!" The others says.

I roll my eyes.

Oh well. Better getting started on cleaning up the house now.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _Katniss_

After we've finished cleaning the house, we are all very tired. We walk up the stairs to the upstairs and I see a door that I open. I see a lot of beds in the room and that's all it is in the room, but seven drawers and clothes thrown around in the room. Wow it's and even bigger mess in here. "Come on guys, let's take care of this mess", I say.

"Are you kidding?" The owl asks. Or Howard, as he calls himself. "No one can clean up _this_ mess, do it yourself!"

"Do you _want_ me to strangle you again Howard?" I ask him threatening.

"I would prefer not, but it's impossible to clean up this mess!" Howard hisses.

"Stop arguing both of you!" The deer Elsa says.

"Yeah, let's just take care of this mess!" The moose says.

And so we start to clean up. But as we clean, I'm starting to think that Howard maybe had a point when he said that no one can clean this up. There is just a too big mess and the clothes never seem to end. We take up clothes after clothes and folds them and put them into the drawers. I don't know how long we stay here and fold and clean. It seems to be years. But then finally we're done. I'm not going to admit to Howard that he was right. I just look winningly at him and smile happily. "Told you", I say.

"Whatever princess", he says.

I yawn. I'm really, really tired now. Who knew that you get tired after cleaning a whole house? I'm not the only tired once. The rabbits and squirrels have already fallen asleep in one if the beds. The baby moose Lyre are about to fall asleep soon. Everyone are tired. "Maybe we should try to get some sleep", I suggest.

No one argues against me at this suggestion. Not even Howard. I take one of the beds and lies down on it. Before I fall asleep I feel how Howard lay down right beside my head, and then I'm out.

* * *

I wake up because of voices. Maybe the owners is home now. They sound surprised. I hear a girl voice as well. Wait a girl actually lived in this mess? Hm... But it sounds like a kid.

Then I hear steps in the stairs. _Oh god, their coming up_.

"Oh no are they home now?" Lyre asks scared, as he wakes up.

"I think so Lyre", I whisper.

And then the door opens. Six teenage boys, and what looks like a six year old little girl, stands and looks at us. We all look at them and then they start to scream. "Who are you? And is this animals?" The tallest of them asks. He has olive colored skin, and so does the girl.

"I ... I'm ... Yes they are animals but I'm princess Katniss", I say.

"Impossible", another one say, he has bronze colored hair.

"I know, I heard from a dear friend that the queen told the village that I'm dead, I'm not dead she's been holding me a prisoner in the castle, that's all", I explain.

"So why are you hear now?" The blonde guy asks.

"The queen decided to make her lie come true", I say, standing up.

"What she was going to kill you?" One of them asks.

The girl stands beside the tallest boy and hug one if his legs hard, looking scared at me and the animals. She's really cute actually. She's wearing a small cute little dress and her hair is hanging down her shoulders. Although she looks kind of dirty just like the boys and no one if them has a pair of shoes.

"Yeah, she told the huntsman to kill me in the woods, but he couldn't so he let me run, I ran and ran and then I met these guys and they showed me your house and I thought that if I cleaned and stuff you would maybe let me live here with you?" I say finish the explanation as a question.

They all stand still and quiet, just looking at me. "Can you cook?" One of them asks. "Can you bake?"

I laugh.

"Of course I can, I can cook and bake anything you want", I say.

They look at each other and nods.

"You can stay", the tallest says. "But your friends can't stay inside the house, they will have to live outside".

"Not the rabbits and squirrels", the girl says, looking up at the boy. "Please".

"Okay okay", he gives in.

"What are your names?" I ask.

"I'm Gale", the tallest says. "That's Finnick, that's Cato, that's Marvel, that's Thresh, that's Blight and this is my baby sister Posy".

"So, Gale, Finnick, Cato, Marvel, Thresh, Blight and Posy", I say, pointing at each and everyone of them.

They finally smile at me and nods.

"Katniss I'm scared", Lyre says.

Posy's eyes widen. I look at her. "Um... Posy could you hear that sweetie?" I ask.

She nods scared.

"What?" Gale asks.

"The baby moose talks", she says.

"No it makes _sounds_ Posy", Gale says.

"No Gale he _talked_ , he told Katniss he's scared", she insist.

"It's true, but Posy..." And this is when I notice how much alike she and Gale are me, in appearance, not in skin or hair color, but our faces. And also it feels like I should know them. "Do I know you?" I ask looking at Gale.

He looks guilty. "Well... No, but we're cousins", he says. "My mom is your moms sister. Although both of them are dead".

Cousins? I have _cousins_? That would explain why Posy can hear the animals, maybe their mother also could talk to animals. Maybe it is a girl thing in our family because Gale can't hear them.

We all walk downstairs. The animals walks out. The most just lays down on the grass by the river and just rests. I walk out with Gale and Posy.

Lyre walks up to Posy. "How old are you?" She asks.

Gale looks at her. I think he forgot what she told him a few minutes ago. "I'm only three months", he says.

"I'm six", she says. "Can I sit on your back?"

He nods and then he lays down and Posy climbs up. "Posy!" Gale panics but I grab him so he won't pull her down.

"Calm down and have some faith in Lyre", I say.

When Posy sits steady, he slowly rises and Posy stars laughing. "Yayay", she laughs.

Lyre stars to walk around slowly. He's smart enough to know that he shouldn't walk faster or run. She's to little.

"How come she thinks she can talk to animals?" Gale asks.

"She don't thinks she can, she _actually_ can", I say. "Didn't you see? She asked if she could sit on his back and he laid down".

"How?" He asks.

"I can as well, I can because my mother could, and after you told me we're cousins, I think your mother could as well, and that only girls in our family can since you don't seem to be able to hear them", I say.

Howard comes flying and sits down on my shoulder. "Oh well congratulations brainless princess you figured it all out", he says teasingly.

"Wait so I'm right?" I ask surprised. "And don't call me that stupid owl".

Gale looks at me.

"He said I'm right about only girls in our family is able to talk to animals, like if I have a daughter or you or Posy, they will be able as well but if we have sons, they won't", I say.

"Okay... I think I can believe that as I see how Posy is in a discussion with the frog over there by the river", Gale says looking at Posy by the river.

She sitting on her butt on the grass and talks with a frog while she leans on Lyre who lays behind her leaning he's head in her knee. I think a friendship has grown between the two kids.

"What did the owl call you?" Gale suddenly asks.

"Brainless princess", I mutter.

"Well you are", Howard defense himself from my shoulder.

"Shut it Howard!" I hiss.

"Hello Howard", Gale laughs.

I smile.

Howard sighs and then flies off my shoulder and into the house. "We don't get along very well", I say. "He thinks he knows everything and that I know nothing. I was about to strangle him earlier, but the other animals stopped the fight".

Gale laughs.

"Better keep an eye on you two then", he says.

I giggle.

Maybe it will be fun to live here. I mean I've met my long lost cousins for the first time.

"Why do you live here? Where are your parents?" I ask.

"Oh... Well about a year ago a lot of people starved to death, it was the worse time", Gale says. "Our parents were very weak and gave all the food to us kids, we were four from the beginning, me, my two brothers Rory and Vic, and little Posy, I didn't eat much, I gave almost everything to Posy trying to save her, I gave Rory and Vic as well but then they caught a cold and their body's couldn't take it, they died, mom and dad starved to death soon after and then I took Posy and ran out into the woods. I met the others in the woods, their families had starved as well. We found this place, not the house, but the aria, the river, we started to build a house and the bridge. It took us a while, but we've manage pretty good".

I just get filled with guilt. It's my evil stepmother who made the people starve.

"Oh how I hate that evil witch", I say angrily. "Making my people starve".

"Yeah you're not alone", Gale says angrily.

"I'm sorry", I say.

"Don't be, it's not your fault, I mean you _were_ a prisoner after all", he says. I tell him about what she made me do and what clothes I had to wear. "That witch", he mumbles angrily.

"Yeah..." I mumble.

I remember my two photos, I have a photo of my mom as well I remembered. Only of her. She was beautiful. I take it up.

"This was my mother", I say and show Gale the photo.

"Yeah mom told me they were twins", he smiles.

"That's why we're alike, besides the skin color and hair color", I say.

"Yeah", he says. "Although I don't think anyone has the same hair or skin color as you".

"I think that's true", I laugh and out back the photo.

This will turn out great. I can feel it.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Peeta_

"Peeta, Peeta, Peeeeetaaa", I hear my sister Prim shout. "Peeta get up, mom wants you to get out of bed now".

"No Prim I'm too tired", I whine.

"Please your majesty the queen told me not to leave this room until you get out of bed", Charlotte, one if the housemaids says.

"Why?" I whine as Prim jumps up in my bed.

"She this and I quote: If that boy is ever going to find a wife, he can't spend his time sleeping, get in there and don't get out before he takes his lazy butt out of the bed", Charlotte says.

"Leave me aloooone", I whine. "I don't even want to _hear_ the word wife, I've become _allergic_ to that word!" And I have. The only thing my mother ever tells me to do is to find a wife. She even says that she's not gonna be here forever and I am the crown prince, and I'm gonna take over after her. But she wants me to be married first.

Prim just likes the idea of me meeting a girl so she agrees with mom, but for another reason. Mom has been nagging and nagging and now I'm allergic to the word wife. I get rashes. Okay no I don't, but I might as well could've.

"Your mother gave me a bucket of ice water and told me to throw it over you if you don't go out if your bed, your majesty", Charlotte says.

"Yeah right", I mumble and bury my face deeper into the pillow. Prim jumps down from the bed. Good because I want to sleep. But suddenly I jump out of the bed when I get ice cold water onto me with bits of ice in it. "Charlotte!" I shout upset as I stand there in front of her and Prim all wet.

"I told you", she says.

Prim holds her hand as she laughs. "She did, she did tell you", she laughs.

Okay I deserved that. "I don't _want_ to find a _wife_!" I say.

"Try telling that to _mom_ ", Prim says.

"Don't you think I've _tried_?" I sigh. "She won't listen to me".

"Oh I know, I said _try_ ", Prim says. "Charlotte I'm hungry".

"Okay come on princess Primrose, I think the breakfasts is done", Charlotte says and walks out with Prim.

 _Gosh. It's freezing_. I run into my bathroom and turn on the shower. I undress and jumps in under the warm rain of water. I take a nice long shower, trying to clear my head. I know that I will have to go down to breakfast soon enough, but I don't want to meet my mother. I mean don't misunderstand me, I _love_ my mom, but her nagging about finding a wife is really getting on my nerves. But soon enough I jump out of the shower and dress in my royal prince clothes because today we're going out on a parade. And if course mom, Prim and I have to attend in the parade. Ugh I hate this. I didn't _ask_ to be the prince. I would much rather be an ordinary boy. I have all these things to do and people expects so much out of me because I'm the crown prince.

When I'm all dressed I walk out of my room and to the big big dining room. "Good morning mother", I say.

"Good morning my boy", she says as I sit down.

"Peeta the parade is going to be _fun_ ", Prim says.

She's in her finest royal princess dress. She actually looks really really cute. Her hair is not braided in the two braids like always, no now her long blond hair flows down her shoulders in waves and she has her royal princess crown.

Just as I start to eat, someone comes up behind me and put my royal Crown prince crown. I hold back a sigh just because my mother is sitting here. Prim knows I don't like this. I talk to her about everything because she's so good at giving advices and listen, but also because she's my sister and I love her. She doesn't say anything to mom though, and that's how I know I can fully trust my little sister.

Mom has her big queen crown on her head and the biggest dress she owns. Don't misunderstand me, she is beautiful, but that dress is not that beautiful. Even Prim don't like that dress, but she doesn't say anything to mom who believes it's really beautiful. "So maybe you'll see a special girl today at the parade", mom says looking at me with sly eyes.

Ugh and here we go _again_. She's a great mom, she always used to read me to sleep when I was little, never the housemaids, she always took her time for me and the same she does for Prim, and she takes time for me now as well, but this nagging have _got_ to stop or else I'm gonna go inside for real. And I'm sure the kingdom doesn't want a _crazy_ king. "Mom I already have the two most special girls _right here_ ", I say in the sweetest voice I can manage.

"Awww... _Nice try_!" She says.

I sigh. "Moooommm", I whine. "I don't _want_ to find a girl, I'm _seventeen_ years old for god's sake, and I don't _want_ to get married!"

But this I tell her at least twice a day and she still don't get it. Is she ever gonna get it? I don't think so. "You'll change your mind when you find the right one, and maybe she's watching the parade", mom says with a sly voice. "Look closer from the carriage".

I sigh. It don't matter how many times I try to tell her I don't want to find a girl, she never gets that, or she does but just ignores it. That's also a possibility because she can be pretty stubborn when she wants to.

"Mom please..." I try but she interrupts me.

"And please try to smile this time Peeta, last time it looked like you were angry, and you scared the children, we don't want that during this parade as well, do we?" She says.

"We might", I say and mom looks at me with hard eyes. "Okay I'll smile!" I give her the biggest fake smile I can manage.

Mom starts to laugh and so does Prim. "You're silly Peeta", Prim says.

I smile a genuine smile when I look at her. Prim is the only one that can really make me smile a real smile. She's the queen of _my_ heart. Why do I need a wife? I don't get that. I can manage on my _own_. Besides, I'm seventeen. I'm a teenager. I want to _travel_ and see the world. I don't want to be here all the time. Before I'm crowned to king I want to see the world. Or at least more than this kingdom.

When we finish breakfast were pushed out to the carriage, driven by my horse Blitz and Prim's horse Mellony. They're both white as snow.

I don't want to do this. But I have no choice. I am the prince after all.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 _Katniss_

"No I promise she'll be fine Gale", I say. "Just go to work, I'll take care of her".

"Are you sure? Because I can take her with me if..."

"No I'm _sure_ ", I say.

Gale and the other boys are going to work. They're woodcutters. They like take down a tree and then cut it into small small pieces. Gale told me that Posy is usually sitting behind and watch because she's too young to be home alone. Posy comes into the room riding onto Lyre's back.

"I'm fine here with princess Katniss, and Elsa, Steve, Howard, Lyre and everyone else", she says. She hugs Lyre. And Posy is actually getting along with Howard. That's good, because I really _don't_.

Steve is the moose. And he's Lyre's dad. Elsa and Steve are feeling overprotective over Posy, like she's their own. And Lyre even told me and Posy, he sees her as his sister. They're so cute together.

"Well, okay than", Gale says. "Just... Yeah okay".

"Gale I understand that you are worried, this is the first time ever you let her go out of your sight", I say. "But she's going to be _okay_ , I _promise_. And as for you Posy don't call me princess Katniss".

"But you are", she says.

Gale laughs. She's so cute when she says things like it's so obvious that everyone should know.

"I am, and so will you be when we've put this mess into order again", I say. "You and your brother will be prince and princess in the kingdom, I'll be the queen in a year, you'll live with me in the castle".

"The boys too?" She asks.

"The boys too, but unfortunately I can't give them the titles of princes", I say. "And yeah the animals to. Even Howard". I spit out the last I said.

"Oh well thank you so much for that, I can feel the _love_ ", Howard says flying onto the bookshelf.

I give him the evil eye. Stupid owl.

Posy just laughs and I start to mutter to myself. "Don't be a bitch Howard".

Gale looks at me and I just shake my head. Look who's talking", Howard says slyly.

"That's _it_ owl!" I hiss and take a leap over to him.

But I don't get that far. Steve catches me so I just land on his back. And the _moose_ saves the _owl_ again.

"Steeeve!" I whine. "Not again!"

"Than stop attacking Howard", Steve laughs.

"I can't promise that", I mutter. Gale just laughs. This must have looked really funny from his point of view. But it wasn't funny for me, so I just get annoyed. "Yeah yeah, very funny, just go out to the wood with the others will you!" I say.

"Fine, bye Posy", he says and hugs her. Then he ruffle Lyre between the ears. "Bye Lyre. And bye everyone, now don't let Katniss kill Howard okay?"

They start to laugh. "Oh they won't trust me, because if they did, he would be _long_ gone by now", I say.

"Oh that makes me feel so _safe_ ", Howard says from his place on top of the shelf.

"Oh shut it Howard", I mutter.

Gale just laughs and laughs as he walks out of the house. Lyre runs around slowly with a laughing Posy on his back. "No Lyre, not in here, go out if you want to play", I say.

"Okay Katniss", Lyre says.

Lyre runs out and Posy's laugh fades a bit, but I can still hear her laugh.

"Steve go out and keep an eye on them will you?" I say.

"Yeah of course", he says.

"I can help with lunch", Elsa offers.

"Great!" I say and start making the lunch.

A week ago I would never have believed someone if they told me they could talk to animals, let alone cook lunch with them.

But right now it feels naturally to do so. It's a part of me, and now that I know it is, it feels like a part of me that has been missing, this, talking to animals, being with Gale and Posy, is starting to make me whole. But a part of me is always going to be missing. Because I don't know my mother, or my father, and therefor I'll never be hole inside of me.

Elsa helps me with the lunch and it's done faster. As I finish the lunch I walk outside. "Lyre! Posy! It's lunch", I call.

"Yeyeyeyey!" They both shouts and runs inside.

Steve laughs and walks in.

It's fun to live like this. But as I told Posy. At one point, we will have to fight for what's right. And we will have to take back the kingdom. We have to defeat the evil queen.

 _But how? And when?_ Those questions have yet to be answered.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Katniss_

Even though Howard and I hate each other, he has his moments where he feel that he can try to be a nice owl and actually do as I say. It's been about two months since the queen ordered the huntsman to kill me. Two months since I came here and met the boys and Posy. Two months since I met my long lost cousins. I asked him to fly into the village and steal one of the newspapers. I have to know what happens there. If it is worse now, or if it gets better now when the evil queen thinks I'm dead.

Howard actually said that he'd do that and flew towards the village. But the thing is that he's not back yet. And I'm actually starting to get worried. No one but _I_ is allowed kill him, so I hope no one in the village caught him or something.

I'm sitting outside the house, on the grass with the boys. Posy runs around and plays with Lyre. Posy and Lyre are inseparable, they do everything together and Posy's favorite thing is to ride on Lyre's back when he runs around. She's started to be really good at sitting put and not fall off. At first she did fall off because she didn't have the balance to sit straight, but now she does. Gale has started to be less and less protective when she's out with Lyre in the woods, and he didn't like it when she sat on Lyre's back, but now he doesn't seem mind it at all.

I look up at the sky, searching with my eyes after a certain irritating owl, who is no where to be seen yet. God, Howard has been gone for a long time now. I really wonder what is taking him so long to get back. "Katniss he'll be here soon", Gale says.

"Yeah and while he's not here, I try to enjoy the moment, because you two sure know how to fight and argue", Finnick says. "So please don't ruin our moment of peace".

I slap Finnick at the back of his head as everyone start to laugh. But it's true though, I've gotta admit that. Howard and I do fight a lot, so when he's not here it is kind of a peaceful moment.

I wonder what happens in the kingdom though. It feels like I fail my people even though they don't know I'm alive. I mean it's my _duty_ to keep them safe, but I fail as a princess, I fail at _everything_. I can't even keep my people _safe_.

"I sure hope Annie is okay", Finnick mumbles as he looks down at the grass.

This is the first time I hear the name Annie. Who's Annie? Okay now I got curious. "Who's Annie?" I ask.

"A girl in the village, she's a little sick, in um... In her head... She um... Saw her family getting beaten to death on order of the queen", Finnick mumble and my heart sink to my stomach and I start to feel sick.

"So she's mentally ill?" I ask carefully.

"I guess you could say that, I mean she don't run around like a manic and stuff, she just... She tries to push out reality and has hard to focus and yeah..." Finnick mumbles.

He really loves this girl. Anyone can see that in his eyes and hear it in his voice. "So she's alone?" I ask.

"No, she's with my grandmother Mags, she takes care of Annie", I say.

"Why did you leave them?" I ask.

Finnick take a deep breath full of tears, yet he don't cry. Oh poor Finnick, he really feels bad about something.

"I had no choice, they would've gotten killed if I had stayed", Finnick says. Everyone are listening to him. Even Posy is, she and Lyre has come and laid down beside us. The other animals listens too even if they can't respond to him. "I... The three of us were so very hungry and Annie and my grandmother was about to starve to death... I kind of stole some bread to try to feed them, and it worked one time, they got the bread, but when I tried the second time I got caught and the queen sent people to hunt me down", Finnick explains. "I had no choice but to leave, if I had gone back to Annie and grandma, they would've killed us all, I just ran out in the woods and hid myself until I met the others".

Okay now I'm the one crying even if it should be Finnick. Poor Finnick. I only hate my evil stepmother even more. She's a crazy manic. _She's_ the one who's sick in her head, _she's_ the crazy one, _she's_ the one who should be hunted down. "Dude why haven't you told us this?" Gale asks.

"It's kind of a sensitive subject to get into, and I'd rather not talk about it as you maybe can understand", Finnick says.

Gale nods understanding. Yeah of course we understand. Lyre and Posy is lying right beside Finnick and they look really sad after hearing Finnick's story. Lyre licks Finnick on the cheek and then lay his head on his shoulder, as Posy crawl into Finnick's lap and hug him.

"Finnick I am so truly sorry, if I had known about everything my evil stepmother have done and is doing I would've..." I start but Cato interrupts me.

"What? What could you have done Kat? You were a prisoner in your own castle and you would've been dead on order of the queen if that huntsman wasn't a kind man", he says. "If you knew about it she would've killed you herself, I'm sure of it".

Well he kind of have a point there. Crap. See? I can't do anything to keep my people safe. And why's that? I'm a teenager. I'm seventeen years old, and I can't stand up against the most evil human being on planet earth without getting killed in less then a second. I sigh frustrated. "I know..." I say short. "Uugh what are we gonna do? I mean yeah it is cozy here and I actually like to be here, but I'm starting to freak out. I mean I'm the freaking princess for god's sake, I have duties, and one of them is to protect my people, but the only thing I'm good at is saying locked up and useless!"

"No don't say that!" Gale says. "She kept you locked up and didn't let you know anything, but now when you're free I know that we're gonna find a way to bring the queen of all evil down".

"Yeah but how?" I ask frustrated and hit my palm onto the great grass.

Gale suddenly looks like something just hit him. I frown as I look at him. "Maybe... Maybe you could ask queen Merallda for help..." Gale mumbles.

Queen Merallda. Yeah the queen of the other kingdom not far away from here, it's on the other side of the big mountains. I've only met her once I think, when I was a baby. My dad traveled there to sign a peace treaty. And they were friends. Levine told me this. She also told me that I was betrothed with queen Merallda's son, but when my evil step mother announced my death it broke just as the peace treaty. I mean it must have broke, I mean her son can't marry a dead girl.

Maybe if I somehow took myself there, and explained everything to queen Merallda who Levine told me is a very nice and sweet queen, she could help me. If I show myself and she sees that I'm _not_ dead. "Yeah..." I mumble deep in my thoughts.

"Doesn't she have a son in our age?" Gale asks.

"Yep, Levine told me I was betrothed with him since my birth, but when our wicked queen announced my death, queen Merallda must have broken it", I say.

"Wait who's Levine?" Gale asks.

"Oh she's my maid and was my only friend as I was locked up, she's thirty two, yeah she was very young when she first started as my mothers maid, only fifteen, but when mom died dad made her my maid and the wicked queen haven't bothered to take her away, I don't know why really", I explain. "But apparently when dad went to sign the peace treaty with queen Merallda when I was a baby, I went with and so did Levine so she could look after me and stuff, so she met queen Merallda, she told me that queen Merallda is really really kind".

"Do you think she would help?" Marvel asks.

"I don't know, maybe, it's hard to tell, but yeah maybe", I say.

"Look!" Thresh shouts and points up at the sky.

Everyone looks up and see Howard come flying towards us. _Finally_. He has a newspaper in his claws and drop it in my knee before he lands carefully on Gales shoulder. I don't know why, but those to has, in some strange why, become buddies.

I read through the paper and sigh. Misery, starvation, death because of starvation, death because of the queen. I search through the names but I don't find either Madge or Annie's names, and that's good anyways. I sigh and through the paper away. "This has to end!" I say and stand up. "I'm going now, I can't waist another minute".

"Are you gonna walk there?" Blight asks.

"How else? Fly? I have no other option", I say.

"But it's way on the other sides if the _mountains_ ", Gale points out. "It'll take days".

"And that's why I can't waist another minute", I say. "But Howard, I'm gonna need you to do me another favor, not for me but for a friend of mine in the village".

"And what's that?" He asks.

"I'm gonna need you to bring a letter to my friend Madge, she has to know what's going to happen, but no one else but her can know, maybe she can find recruits for the revolution", I say.

"Okay, but I'm doing it for the people and not you", Howard says.

"Oh how nice of you", I sputter.

"Always brainless princess!" He says. "Now give me the letter!"

"I've told you a hundreds times not to call me that Howard!" I say. "And I haven't written it yet, I'm gonna do that now!"

And with that I disappear into the house to write the letter to Madge.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _Katniss_

 _"Madge,_

 _I send you this with my trustworthy but also most annoying owl, (don't ask, it's a long story)._

 _The only thing you need to know now is that I'm alive and I'm safe for now. The evil queen ordered my death for real this time about two months ago, but the huntsman let me go and I ran to hide in the woods but found a house where six people (five boys and a little girl) lives, they used to live in the village but they escaped and two if them are my cousins, can you even imagine?_

 _Anyway, I'm sending you this letter to let you know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring down the wicked queen and to help my people, I've failed them all this time, and I'm not gonna anymore because you and they need me._

 _I'm going to the other kingdom beyond the mountains to seek help in queen Merallda, it's gonna be a long way to go, but I'm gonna do what_ _ever it takes._

 _If you know people who you are sure would never ever betray you, maybe you can find rebels who are willing to fight for a better life. I know you are and you're my best friend and I miss you so much, and I am going to make a better life for you, even if I have to die for it to happen._

 _I hope to see you again someday when it's time for the rebellion to take place._

 _Bye,_

 _Katniss"._

I fold the paper and roll it. I walk back outside where the others are waiting for me. "Here", I say and give the paper to Howard.

"How do I know which girl to deliver this to?" He asks.

"Well she's my age, seventeen, and she has blonde hair and blue eyes, she have a light blue and very dirt dress, and her hair is set up with a dirty light blue ribbon", I say. "And it's important that you find the right girl, if this letter gets into the wrong hands and my evil stepmother hears about this, she'll know that I'm not dead and where I'm going and then we're completely screwed up".

"Okay got it, anything else that can make me recognize her?" Howard asks and leave gales shoulder.

"Well... She might be with a man named Haymitch, so if you hear a girl with a blue ribbon in my age call someone Haymitch, that's her", I say.

"Okay, I'm gonna try to catch up with you guys after I've delivered this _very important_ letter of yours", he says mockingly but still with a serious tone.

Howard flies away. "Wait us?" I ask and turn around to face the others and see that they look ready to leave.

"You don't think we're gonna let you go alone, do you?" Gale asks.

"Um yes?" I say.

"No way!" Cato says. "I'm ready to _fight_!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're not fighting right _now_ ", I say.

"Oh well", Cato says and shrug his shoulders. "We're going to try to find help and that's always something".

"You don't have to come with", I say. "Posy is too little, she'll get too tired out of walking".

"No I won't, I'll sit on Lyre's back the whole time I swear, please let me come with", she says.

"Yeah she'll sit on my back, she won't get tired", Lyre says.

"Is it that important for everyone to come with?" I ask.

"Yes!" Everyone says all at the same time.

I sigh. I have a feeling that they won't give in. Especially not Gale and Posy. It feels like they are just as stubborn as I am. "Ooh alright", I finally give in.

"Yes!" They all shout again as they all throw one fist up in the air.

I start to laugh. "Okay but we have to move now, because every second we're here, my people suffer and suffer", I say.

We pack food and water, before we leave the little house behind us as we start to walk towards the big mountains. We're completely surrounded by trees, leaves and wild animals. I see the animals who first came to me when I go lost in the woods as pets and not wild animals, even if they are.

Only Elsa, Steve and Lyre came with us, Steve told the squirrels, the bunnies, the birds and all the other animals to stay, I mean hey, we can't come barging into the other kingdoms with a over twenty wild animals. That would just look weird, so no, they stayed at the house.

This is going to be a long hike, I don't know how long, but at least a week, I mean we're on foot, and queen Merallda's kingdom is way beyond the mountains, it's not like we can make that distance in one day, right?

I wonder how queen Merallda is going to react when she sees us. I mean first of all; she thinks I'm dead, and so does her son, my ex fiancé, oh god that sounds wrong, but that's exactly what he is, I was betrothed to him and then I wasn't anymore, so he's my ex fiancé. Maybe queen Merallda wants me to be engaged with him again, maybe that will be her one condition to help my kingdom. Oh I hope not... I don't even know what the guy look like, what if he's really ugly and like is arrogant and a bully and thinks he's better then everyone else and don't care about anyone but himself and he's looks or ego. Eww I really hate that.

But I think queen Merallda will be kind and help me with no conditions when she sees that I'm alive and I'm desperately seeks her help. Let's just hope so.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 _Peeta_

"Okay okay okay!" I give in and throw my hands in front of my eyes. "1... 2... 3... 4... 5..." I hear how Prim starts to run, her pink patent shoes with small heels starts to fade out in the big castle when she's out of the room.

Prim has been nagging a hole in my head. She really wants me to play hide and seek with her. I don't want to, but she didn't stop nagging, and besides she's my baby sister and I would do anything for her. Why I don't want to, is because I'm mad at my mother. She's arranged this big big royal ball and everything, _only for me_ , she told me. God she makes me so angry. I know that she means well, but it just doesn't turn out right. And now she's made a big scene of me being single. God I'm seventeen! I'm not in a hurry to get married any time soon!

Question: When am I going to be only a teenager?

Answer: Never!

I have this big responsibility because I'm the crown prince and all, I have to take care of Prim and my mother is forcing me to fine a wife. That sounds stupid, doesn't it? _Find a wife_. And I'm only _seventeen_. God! I want to live. I want to see the world. I don't want to get married at age seventeen or eighteen or twenty even. I'm too _young_! "...98 ...99 ...100! I hope you've hide good Primmy because here I come!"

I start running and seek after her.

I run in and out of so many rooms I've lost count on. God our castle is big and I'm surprised that I haven't gotten lost in it, or better yet that Prim hasn't.

I come up to a room, where I've actually never been before. I open the door and I raise my eyebrow at what I see. It looks like an old guest room or something. There's a big kingsize bed and a crib. I walk up to the closet and find old mans clothes, kings clothes and some very small baby princess clothes. These clothes, I have never seen before, they don't look like Prim's old baby clothes.

Why would mom even keep this room? It's dusty in here, so the maids doesn't clean this room... Weird.

I spot a box inside the crib. I walk up to the crib and pick up the box. Something is written in the box ... With my mothers handwriting. So she's the one putting the box here?

 _King Rupert and little princess Katniss_

King Rupert and little princess Katniss? Now who the hell is king Rupert? Is Katniss his daughter? I open the box, and the first thing I find, is a golden stuffed mockingjay toy, with the name _Katniss_ , on it. Then I see a photo of a man. He's got brown hair, olive skin, kind and grey eyes, and a happy smile. He has a big king crown on his head, and the typical king clothes. It's a lot like my clothes, but not the same, I have prince clothes, so it's not the same, and they don't look exactly the same, it's a lot of differences.

He looks kind. Is he dead? I mean I think so, I've never heard of some king named Rupert or a girl named Katniss. I look down in the box again and find a photo of a newborn baby girl. The painter really did a good job on this one. I look at the back.

 _Katniss. Newborn. 1289. May 8th._

1289? What? I'm also born in 1289. Only April 20th. Spooky. So she's also seventeen? It's year 1306. Hm...

What is this? If I didn't think that mom knew this king, who's probably the one who sent the baby photo, I'm sure of it now. But why wouldn't my mom just tell me about this? I look down again and find another photo, but this time on two babies. The first one in a baby prince outfit with a blue little royal hat and the other one with a cute little princess outfit (a lot like the once in the closet) and a bow in the little hair she have.

Oh my. This baby has blood red lips, they're so red, and the color of her skin is as white as snow and her hair is as black as ebony. God these colors... How can anyone have these? I've never seen anything like it! But I do recognize the baby boy. I look at the back to get my thought confirmed. It's me. And Katniss, it says.

 _Katniss and Peeta's first meeting. 1289. December 13th._

Katniss was eight months and I was nine months. I still don't understand why my mother hasn't told me anything about Katniss. Or King Rupert.

"Peeeeetttaaaaaa!" I hear and angry Prim scream all too close. I look up and see her stand in the doorway. Oh god! I totally forgot about Prim. "I'm lying in a small and black closet, and here you are, not even looking after me!" She says angry and walks inside with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh I'm so sorry Primmy, I forgot, I found this and I just forgot", I say with a puppy face. "I'm so sorry".

She stares angrily at me. "I hate you, you're mean!" She says. "Why aren't you as fun as before?"

"Because mother is forcing me to get married Primmy, and I don't want that", I say. "You know I don't, and you know that she won't listen to me, so I'm stuck to get married".

"I know, but still!" Prim says and sits down on the bed and when she jumps down on it, dust flies all around her. "What is this place anyways?" She coughs and looks around in the room from the bed.

"I don't know..." I say.

Suddenly I hear a terrified low scream. I jump and so does Prim. We look to the doorway and find our mother with her hand to her mouth and the big queen crown on skew.

"What are you two doing in here?!" She asks terrified.

"It's not like the door was locked or anything", I say short.

"Out!" She says.

"No!" I say. "I want some answers".

"Peeta!"

"Mother!"

"Do as I say!" She says angrily.

"No! If I'm old enough to get married, I'm old enough for answers!" I say holding up the baby photo of me and Katniss.

My mothers eyes widen.

"Aww cuuuuutteeee, who are they?" Prim asks smiling from the bed.

"Me and Katniss", I say looking at mom.

"Who's Katniss?" Prim asks confused.

"Why don't you ask mom? Because I have no idea myself", I say.

Both of us looks at mom, waiting for answers. Mom looks from me to Prim and then back again. She sighs. Mom closes the door and then walks up to a dusty old chair and sits down. She looks so sad now. "King Rupert was the king of our neighbor kingdom, I was a good friend of his wife, queen Vera. They got a baby daughter, Katniss. Oh she was so beautiful even as a baby, lips red as blood, skin white as snow and hair black as ebony, so beautiful. But queen Vera died giving birth to princess Katniss and Rupert was left alone with her", my mother says. "Then... And then he married a new woman, a very beautiful woman. King Rupert came to visit with princess Katniss a lot of times, we wanted the two of you to bond, because you were betrothed since birth, but then when princess Katniss was two, king Rupert suddenly died, and I never heard from Katniss again, until her seventh birthday and an annoucment was made to tell that princess Katniss had passed away after a long time illness, and that's when the engagement broke". I only look at my mother. I was betrothed with this girl? God I hate to be royal! Why do we have to be betrothed but not regular people? They can fall in love and marry who ever they want, while we're stuck marrying someone our parents choose for us even before we're born. Is that why mom let me choose for myself this time? But it doesn't explain why she pushes me to get married. Princess Katniss is dead? "She would've been seventeen and so beautiful if she had lived today", mom says and a tear drops down on moms dress.

Suddenly I feel a bit guilty. I shouldn't have forced her to tell me. But then again, she _is_ forcing me to get married, so we're not even yet. Prim jumps down from the bed and runs up to mom.

"Mother don't cry", she says and wipe away moms tears with her small thumbs.

Mom picks up Prim and stands up. "Anyway, just forget that this room exist and just prepare yourself for the ball on Friday", mom says and walks out of the room.

"Yes mother", I say.

I look back in the box and see a paper clip.

I take it up and read.

"Our beloved princess Katniss, has today, after a longer time illness, sadly passed away and left us. She's going to be forever remembered in our hearts and we hope that her next journey becomes a good one".

As I think of Katniss, and of what she would look like now, start to feel a strong connection. Like she's alive. I know that she's not, but it still feel like it.

Who were you Katniss? Or better yet, who _are_ you?


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 _Katniss_

We've been walking for a really long time. I'm getting tired, but I'm the only girl walking so I don't say anything because I know that the boys aren't as tired as me. But I can see that Lyre is very very tired. This is why I told him and Posy to stay home. I understand why they wanted to come with though of course. "We can stop for a while", I say.

Everyone falls down to the ground exhausted. Okay. The guys were more tired than I thought they were.

I sit down beside Gale. He looks at Posy. She's the only one who's not tired. I mean how could she be? She's the only one who hasn't walked.

"I can carry you Gale", Posy says.

Everyone burst out laughing at the thought if Posy trying to carry Gale who's really tall and has to weight a lot because of all his muscles. And plus, Posy is only six. "No I'm good baby, but thanks", he chuckles and she shrugs.

I take up four water bottles and we all share and drink.

"How much longer do we have to go?" Finnick asks.

"I don't know, we're to deep in the woods to tell", I say. "Hold on let me check". And with that I run up to a tree and starts climbing.

"Katniss what are you doing? You're going to fall down", Gale asks.

"Yeah come down", Elsa says to me.

"I don't know what she just said, but I agree", Finnick says and pat her between her horns.

"I'm not gonna fall down, god have som faith in me will yah!" I shout at them as I climb higher and higher.

I climb up until I reach the crown and stick my head three the leaves. I look around. Hm... The mountains are getting closer now, but they're are still far away. It's at least four days maybe five or six and that's only to get to the mountains, we have to get past them as well, but the time depends on how many times we stop and for how long. We do have to sleep as well.

I start to climb down again. At the last branch I take a leap and jump down, landing on my feet gracefully with my fingertips touching the ground.

I look up at the others and they looks at me with their mouth open.

"How did you do that?" Gale asks.

"Years of being captured", I say and stand up. "I had to teach myself how to do this so I could escape some day over the high wall, but I found another way so".

"Our princess is way cool", Blight says and I start to blush. "If only the people in our village knew".

I'm so not cool.

"Are we done resting? The mountains are close, but still far away, and we have to get past them, it'll take maybe a week or six days, depending on how many times we stop to rest, how long and for how many hours were going to sleep every night".

"Okay, well how about six hours, not to long, not to little, and we'll walk most of the day and stop maybe two or three times but not for very long", Cato says. "We really need to get there as soon as possible because we do need their help and we have to plan the rebellion and we have to do so many other things".

Cato is right. This hike is only one of the many things we have to do before we can attack my castle and get my evil stepmother to step down. Everyone nod at what Cato says. We all know he's right.

"Okay yeah that sounds good", I say.

"Yeah I can carry Lyre, it's too much for him", Steve says.

Yeah he can lay across his back.

"Daaaadddd", Lyre complains and Posy starts to giggle. "I don't have to be carried.

"Yes you do son, you can't walk for as long as we can, you're still to little", Steve says.

"Uuugghh", Lyre complains. "Fine".

"Okay then", I say.

Steve lays down and Lyre walks up to him on shaky and tired legs and lie down on his father across his back so his legs hangs on the sides of Steve.

Steve raise and Lyre looks ashamed.

"I'll sit on Elsa's back!" Posy shouts.

Thresh picks her up and puts her down on Elsa's back.

"Are we all ready to go now?" I ask.

Everyone looks at each other and nods.

We start to walk forward.

"Do you think queen Merallda is going to say yes?" Gale asks me as we walk.

I shrug.

"I really don't know, as I said, I haven't met her since I was a baby", I say.

I'm nervous about meeting queen Merallda to tell the truth. And I'm even more nervous about meeting the crown prince. I don't know what his name is though. Levine never told me that. I guess she thought that it wasn't important. I mean I was engaged to him after all, and I'm gonna see my ex fiancé. God, that just sounds weird.

I'm afraid that queen Merallda is going to want us to be engaged again. I don't want that. I'm seventeen and I don't know him at all. I don't know what he's like and I don't know anything. But if she do force me to, I hope he has a good personality and is good looking.

"It's going to be fine, queen Merallda won't force you into an engagement", Gale says.

"Did I say that out loud?" I ask.

"Yes", Marvel grins at me. "And we hope for your sake that he's a real _hottie_ ".

I hit him with my palm onto his neck. "Oww", he says and rubs his neck.

"Serves you right", I say.

"Remember I'm the only teenage girl here, and you're all boys, so don't be mean to my girl thoughts okay?" I say and give the boys death glares.

"Fine", they say.

Ugh. Sometimes it's really not easy to be the only girl.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 _Katniss_

"Posy?"

"Posy!"

We're looking for Posy, who somehow disappeared. "Posy?!" Lyre shouts with tears in his eyes. "Posy!"

She said that she wanted to pee and that she could manage it all by herself, so she went behind a bush and never came back. "Posy!" I call. "This isn't funny, come here now!"

But she doesn't. Why is she doing this? Does she think this is funny? I mean she is the one doing this, I'm sure of it. "Posy Hazel Hawthorne you come back here right this minute!" Gale shouts angrily.

"Hello!" She says jumping down from a tree into my arms.

How the hell did she get up there from the beginning? "Posy how did you get up there?" I ask horrified.

"I climbed like you!" She says laughing.

I look at the boys. Okay bad thing to do in front of Posy. "Why did you do that? It's very dangerous", I say.

"I want to be just like you when I grow up", she says and hugs me.

I look at Gale who stands behind her back. He smirks but I just feel horrified. Why the hell does this kid want to be like me? I'm nothing special. "Okay well, Posy baby, don't ever do that again, Katniss is right, it's way too dangerous", Gale says. "Promise us you won't do that again".

"Okay", she says.

"Good", I say.

We've been walking for days now. And I can understand that Posy feel a bit bored, even though she hasn't complained.

I'm actually very amazed over the fact that Posy and Lyre hasn't been complaining or whining, they haven't asked for time to rest or to sleep, they just follows and do what we've told them to.

We continue walking and walking for a long time. We're actually by the mountains now, so now we just have to get passed them and then we should be able to see the other kingdom.

I hear something above our heads and looks up. There I see Howard. "Missed me?" He asks as he flies down and sits on Gale's shoulder.

"No!" I say.

"Yes!" Posy says at the exactly same time.

"That hurt brainless princess!" Howard says.

"Whatever", I say and just continue to walk instead.

After I've lost count of how long we've been walking, I think that it may be time to rest. I look back at everyone and see how tired everyone looks, although they really try to hide it. "Maybe we can just rest now", I say. "We've been walking for hours".

"Yeah thank you!" Finnick bursts and falls down on the ground, face first but I don't think that he planned the whole 'face first thing'.

"Oww..." He mumbles and sits up on his but.

Everyone laughs and sits down.

"Is it very much further?" Posy asks.

"No, we're right here by the mountains so we just have to pass them and then we'll be able to see the kingdom", I tell her and she sits down in my lap, leaning against my chest. I stroke her hair. She looks so tired. So that's why I what her to sleep, I start to sing to her.

 _"Deep in the meadow, under the willow,_

 _A bed of grass, a soft green pillow,_

 _Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes,_

 _And when again they open, the sun will rise,_

 _Here it's safe, here it's warm,_

 _Here the daisies guard you from every harm,_

 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true,_

 _Here is the place where I love you,_

 _Deep in the meadow, hidden far away,_

 _A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray,_

 _Forget your woes and let your trouble lay,_

 _And when again it's morning, they'll wash away,_

 _Here it's safe, here it's warm,_

 _Here the daisies guard you from every harm,_

 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true,_

 _Here is the place where I love you"._

As the song ends, I see Posy's sleepy eyes close when she falls asleep. I smile and rock her slowly. I look up at the boys looking at me. "What?" I ask.

"Was that really you singing?" Thresh asks.

"No it was Gale", I roll my eyes.

"Yeah we all know it was", Howard says. Ugh I hate this owl.

"How can you sing like that?" Cato asks.

Gale takes a lot of leaves and small branches and start to braid something. What's he gonna do?

"I don't know, I guess I've always could, Levine told me that my father sang beautifully as well, that his singing voice was what made my mom fall in love with him, she wasn't at all happy about an arranged marriage, but she changed her mind when she met him and heard him sing", I say.

"For never have met them, you seem to know a lot about them", Marvel points out.

"Yeah Levine knew them for a long time and she told me a lot of things", I say. "But I just know a lot of stuff about them, I don't know _them,_ I only kmow that their names were Rupert and Vera".

"No that's true", Blight says.

I just continue on rocking Posy. Gale just sits and braid. After a while he seems to be done.

"Done!" He says.

"What's that?" I ask.

"Well, it's a bed, you put it around your neck and then put Posy in it and she'll sleep great", Gale says.

"Oh how creative, that's a great idea", I say.

"I can take her", Steve says.

He's lying down beside me.

"Okay", I say. "Gale hang it around Steve, he says he can take her".

So Gale hangs the little braided bed around Steve's neck. I put little Posy in it.

We sit still for a little while until we decide that it's best to leave. Little Posy is still sleeping, so when Steve raise to stand up she just follows and is swinging a little bit.

We start walking again and walk from a long time.

When we are by the mountains and we start to pass them, Gale asks something that must've been on his mind for a while, because he says it with a lot of afterthought.

"So what are we gonna say when we arrive?" Gale asks.

"Hm... What about... Please help us?" Cato asks sarcastically.

"Very funny", Gale says. "No but seriously, what are we gonna say?"

"I don't know, I'll figure something out", I say. "Maybe we should just tell the truth for starters because the queen has to accept us meeting her".

"Yeah we'll be like: 'hey guard, tell your queen that princess Katniss who is not dead wish to speak with her'", Marvel says.

I can't help but to laugh at this.

"What's so funny?" I hear a little voice ask. I look at Posy who's now awake. "Oh did I wake you up sweetie?" I ask. She shakes her head and yawns. Then she climbed from the bed up on Steves face and sits between his horn. "Are we there soon?" She asks.

"Actually... Yes", I say as we're passed the mountains.

We stand on a very high ground beside the mountains and we see the kingdom. It doesn't look at all like my kingdom. But I can't see a lot. But what I do see pretty well is the big and mighty castle.

"Ooooo", Posy says in an enchanted voice.

I'd have to agree. This castle is so beautiful. We start walking again, into the woods of course, downhill because we have to get down to the ground.

I really do wonder what I'm gonna tell the queen. What am I gonna say? We've been walking for five days now. And we'll be walking for about one more, or less, then we'll be there.

I really wonder what's waiting when we arrive. What will happen? Who is this boy I was betrothed with? Who is his mother? What will they say? What will they do? Will they help us?

These questions, I'm going to find out the answers to very soon...


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 _Peeta_

"Peeta please, it's not going to be a big bal", mother says.

"No! Mother", I say. "I don't _want_ to attend on another one of your attempts to force a wife on me!"

"It's nothing like that, it's just a bal", she says.

Yeah right. That's what she said _last_ time as well. I just don't believe my mother when she says this, because her number one goal seems to be to find me a wife. Even though I don't want to.

"I don't want a wife, and I don't believe you when you say that, you're my trying to find me a wife", I say.

"Okay fine! I am, but that's because you have to", mom says.

"Mother! You don't seem to be hearing me! I. Do. Not. Want. A. Wife!" I say before I storm off to my room.

Ugh I hate this. I _hate_ being a prince. I just want to be a normal boy. I want to travel, I want to meet people, make my own friends, meet a girl I like and marry her and definitely _not_ marry a girl my mother tries to force on me. Why can't my life be normal? Because I'm the crown prince and I have responsibilities that other boys in my age doesn't. I don't know what to do about my mother though. She makes me so frustrated sometimes. I mean I love her, but she makes me so _frustrated_.

It knocks on my door and then it opens. "Peeta forget about a wife now", Prim says as she enters.

"How can I when mother is not talking about anything else?" I ask.

"I know, I know", she says. "But that's how she is".

"Yeah", I say. "I know, but I don't want to get married"

"Then you don't have to, she can't force you, she can try, but in the end it's _your_ decision and not mothers", Prim says.

I laugh. My little sister Primrose, the poet. Prim is so understanding and can always say the right things at moments like this.

I walk up to her and pick her up. "Thanks Prim, but you're always going to be my one and only star", I say.

"Oh I know I will", she says slyly.

I just laugh and hug her tight. She knows how much I love her.

"Maybe I should go and apologize to mother though", I say and put Prim down again.

"Naahh she should apologize to be honest, because what she's doing is not fair to you", Prim says and shrugs. "You're only seventeen, and think about me, I'm not sure that I want an evil sister-in-law".

"Who says she's going to be evil?" I ask.

"You really have to read more", Prim says shaking her head.

"No I'm good Primmy", I say.

"Maybe you don't have to fight", she says. "But I mean I understand why".

And that's when it hits me. These fights I have with mom about not wanting to find a wife must effect Prim as well. I just haven't thought if that before. God I'm such a bad brother. Maybe I should just let my mom pair me up with a girl and just marry her. This is not fair to Prim.

I take Prim's hands. "These fights are going to stop", I say as we start walking out of my room.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"I'm gonna agree to a wife", I say.

"No you can't!" She says.

I can't look at her right now. My innocent, sweet baby sister is just always thinking about everyone but herself.

"I have to, these fights has to stop, it's not good for you", I say. "And I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe and out of trouble".

"But I'm fine, and you're just going to be miserable", Prim says sad. "Please don't do this!"

"I've made my decision Primmy", I say.

We walk down a lot of stairs before we walk into the bal room I know for a fact my mother will be. When we walk in I'm not surprised to see her there, talking to bal planner. I'm so close to regret my decision, when I see this, but then I feel Prim squeeze my hand and I remember why I'm agreeing to this.

"Mother!" I say and we walk up to her.

"Yes?" She asks.

But before I have time to say something else, Herman, our lead guard comes into the bal room.

"Queen Merallda, there's a group of children and a little child wanting to see you", he says. "They seem desperate".

"Oh?" Mother says. "Okay, well show us the way".

So we follow Herman back to the entrance and to the big gates to the castle.

The gate guards open up the gates and there stands a group of guys with a teenage girl and what I think is a four or five year old girl. The teenage girl with black ebony hair turns around. Her hair flutters around her as she spins around. The first thing I see is her lips. So red. Just like blood. And her skin, white as snow.

I hear my mother gasp. "Katniss?" She asks.

The girl smiles shyly and nods.

 _What?_


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 _Katniss_

"So he said that he would go ask the queen", Gale says nervous.

"Yeah I was here", I point.

The others chuckle when we hear the big gates open I turn around. My hair flutters as I spin around and see three people.

I see a woman with long beautiful blonde curly hair with golden highlights and a big crown on her head, she has clear blue and kind eyes. This must be queen Merallda. I also see a girl, maybe thirteen years old, with the same hair color and eye color as the queen and also looks like a mini version of the queen, only the girl has two long braids instead of having it loose. But the one that really catches my eyes is the boy with ashy blonde hair and deep clear intense blue and genuine kind eyes that stares into my soul as he looks at me. Is this the prince? The prince I was once betrothed with? _Whaaaaaaat..?_

"Katniss?" The queen gasps. I smile shyly and nods. The queen suddenly starts running in her high heels. I've never had these on my feet, but my wicked stepmother has. Isn't it hard to run in them? The queen runs up to me hand wrap her arms around me. "Oh Katniss! Katniss, Katniss, Katniss", she says, rocking me. Okay so she definitely remembers me. I watch the boy over the queens shoulder. Our eyes meet. We just look into each other's eyes. I'm not looking away and neither is he. Not until the queen stops hugging me, we lose eye contact. She looks at me with the biggest smile I've seen someone smile. But then she get a suspicious facial expression. "Why aren't you dead? I mean I heard you were dead", she says.

I nod. "Yeah I know, but I'm not, it's a long story", I say.

"Okay why don't you just come with me", she says and looks at me and the guys.

"Oh eh... Can we have our animals with us? I promise you that they are very very very tame, they do exactly what I say, I've trained them very good", I say, scratching my neck.

Queen Merallda looks at Elsa, Steve and Lyre. "Oh..." She says and seem to be hesitating.

"Oh mother please!" The girl says and runs up to Elsa.

Elsa licks the girl on the cheek and she laughs. The girl hugs Elsa and she lick her cheek again. Okay they really clicked with each other. I can see how much Elsa enjoy this girl.

"Mother please please please", she begs with puppy eyes as she looks at the queen.

"O-okay", she says.

"Yeyey!" The girl screams.

"Prim calm down", the boy says.

"Oh but Peeta she's so beautiful", the girl named Prim says.

Elsa lays down.

"Tell her to sit on my back", Elsa says to me.

I giggle. "Oh she laid down because she wants you to sit on her back", I say.

"Ooooo", princess Prim says and sits down on Elsa's back.

Elsa rise and she laughs. She becomes almost the same hight as Posy.

"Oh who's this?" Princess Prim asks looking at Posy, who still sits between Steve's horn.

"My little sister Posy", Gale says.

"Yeah and my baby cousin", I say.

"Yeah from your mothers side of the family, they were twins am I right, your mother and their mother?" The queen asks.

"Yeah, Gale told me so, I didn't know before I..." I stop in the middle of my sentence. I still haven't explained everything.

"Before...?" The queen asks.

"Eh..." I say. "As I said it's a long story".

"Oh well come with", she says and starts walking I to the castle again and we follow.

"Peeta! Peeta look at me!" Princess Prim shouts.

"Yeah I see", this prince Peeta guy says with a big smile looking at his sister with nothing but love in his eyes.

This boy is not at all what I thought. I look at him when he passes me. Finnick walks beside me. He wiggles his eyes when I look at him and I roll my eyes. Gale starts making kissing noises and I almost panic. "Gale!" I hiss in a whisper and hit my hand over his mouth.

That is it with these boys? I do not like this Peeta figure. I met him like fifteen minutes ago. What are they thinking? Boys are stupid. Especially my cousin and the boys I've been living with. I see them as my brothers, and especially Finnick for some reason, and they _do_ behave like annoying brothers as well.

We follow the queen and end up in what I believe is a big big living room. Everyone sits down in the sofas while Steve, Elsa and Lyre lays down in on the floor in front of the sofa I sit on. Posy climbs down from Steve and sits between Lyre's legs and lean against him. Steve puts his head in my knee and I start to pet him, as I stroke my hand over his head. Prince Peeta sits down beside his mother and princess Prim just keeps sitting where she already sits; on Elsa's back.

Queen Merallda and prince Peeta are sitting in front of me, Gale and Finnick. I look at Peeta and he looks at me. We keep eye contact until queen Merallda speaks up and I look at her instead. "So princess Katniss please tell us everything", she says.

Because the boys has stopped calling me princess, or they never actually did, only the first hour, then I told them to stop because I was too unused to it. So it feels weird to be called princess now.

"Okay here it is, it started on my seventh birthday..." So I begin to tell my whole story and start with my seventh birthday when everything I knew and had was takes away from me, and finish when I come up to when we arrived to this big village. "... And now we're here begging for help, because I can't do this on my own, you have no idea how evil my wicked stepmother is, what she has done to my _village_ and my _people,_ they starve to death, everyday someone dies of a sickness or just starve, I... It's so horrible, and I only saw it one time, as I said when I managed to find a way through the big wall", I say, feel how tears starts to flow down my eyes. "I just feel so guilty, I can't do anything to help my people and they deserve so much more, I do remember how it was when I was a kid, it's nothing like that, all the life in my village is long gone".

Queen Merallda and prince Peeta just looks at me in shock. "So she made up a lie about your death", the queen says.

"Yes", I say. "And I didn't even know that until I met my friend Madge as I said and she told me, I didn't remember her at first but then I did", I say.

"The people in the village are so desperate", Finnick says before he tells the story about Annie that he told us a few weeks ago.

"Oh my!" Princess Prim says and stands up. She walks up to Finnick and put a hand in his cheek. "I'm so sorry, I'm sure she's still alive. You'll meet once again and you'll live a happy life together, you just have to stay hopefull, have some faith that someday a brighter day will come, and it will, it will", she says.

"Yeah as long as I stay away from her", Finnick says. "This kingdom is so lucky to have you as their princess, princess Primrose".

Princess Prims smiles really big at Finnick. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea about this", queen Merallda says.

"I know, my wicked stepmother has thought everything through and knows what to do", I say. "Announcing my death was just the first step".

"And then she dressed you up in a very beautiful dress and fixed you to be slathered?" Prince Peeta asks.

I nod. "Yeah, and I would've been if that huntsman hadn't been so kind", I say. "Then I met the boys in the woods... Or broke into their house when they were away and found me sleeping in their bedroom".

The boys start laughing. "Katniss, I'm so sorry about all of this, if I had known I would've rescued you away from there", queen Merallda says.

"But who would've rescued my people? They're just too many".

Everyone becomes quiet.

"Well you're here now, and that's a big step", queen Merallda says. "And I'm so glad you came here, of course we are going to do everything in our power to help you and your village, and..." She gets interrupted by princess Prim.

"Ooooo you have an owl, how did I not notice it before?" She screams and points at Gale's shoulder.

"Yeah they're best friends, but this owl is a pest believe me, although he _is_ harmless", I say.

"Shut up stupid brainless princess!" Howard says and pick on me with his beak.

"Howard!" I say.

"Oooo his name is Howard?" Princess Prim asks.

"Yep", Gale says.

"Prim please, we're trying to talk here", prince Peeta says.

"Oh yeah, sorry", she giggles. "Just one question..."

"What is it darling?" Queen Merallda asks.

"With princess Katniss alive and all and because of the fact that she actually never died... Is she and Peeta still betrothed?"


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 _Katniss_

The queen show us all to rooms we can sleep in during our visit here. She said that she is going to help us, but her soldiers has to make up a plan.

I'm so tired. So when I get my room I just fall down in the surprisingly very soft bed. I start to think about things. Turns out that because I did not die, prince Peeta and I are still betrothed. I have to marry him. Oh god. I was still getting used to being free, now I'm trapped again. Oh well, he's not ugly, not self-centered and not mean. But still, I would want to choose my own husband. But I can't, in stuck with the one my father chose for me. Oh what an I gonna do?

"Katniss, are you sad?" Elsa asks.

I sit up and she lays her head on my knee.

"Noo I'm not sad... I just, I have to marry this Peeta guy and I don't know him", I say.

"Well Katniss no one, not even the queen has said that you have to marry him today", Steve says, sitting down beside Elsa. "So don't freak out".

Well... That's true! The moose is smart. "Yeah I know", I sigh. "Yeah you're right, I shouldn't freak out".

"No you shouldn't", Elsa says. "So stop hyperventilate".

I laugh and hug Elsa. "Thanks guys, you're the best animals a girl can ask for", I say.

"Oh we know", Steve says.

The door opens and princess Prim comes into my room.

"Princess Katniss, do you like your room?" She asks.

"Yes princess Primrose, I really do, I've only slept in the floor my whole life, so this is the best", I try to joke but she just looks at me with big eyes.

"I'm so sorry", she says. "I can't understand how your life has been, and please call me Prim".

"Oh no no, don't feel sorry, I don't look back, I only look forward so I can see all of the positive things", I say.

"You're so strong", she says and smiles so big. "Are you sad because you have to marry Peeta? He's not so happy either".

"Oh no honey I... What?" I say.

He's not _happy_? Am I ugly?

"Oh no it's not you, it's just... He's had the most awful fights with our mother because she has tried to force marry him with a girl for years", princess Prim says as she pets Elsa. "He just wants to choose his own bride, but now you're betrothed, so you have to get married".

Oh... Maybe we're alike after all. Ugh maybe I can learn to like him or something.

Princess Prim looks at me and smiles.

"You know, I for one can't see Peeta's problem, you're his age, you're smart, you're funny, you're kind, you're tall and _very_ beautiful", she says.

I feel my cheeks start to heat. I'm not beautiful. I'm not ugly, but I'm definitely not beautiful. "I'm..."

"Yes you are", princess Prim says. "If Peeta has said something else, I'm going to kick his ass".

I laugh. She's so adorable. "He hasn't said anything to me actually", I say. "He hasn't spoken to me at all".

"What?!" Prim says. "Wait here, come on Steve and Elsa".

Steve and Elsa follows her out.

Why did she tell me to wait? What is she up to? I hear some yelling and then some loud footsteps. My door is being pulled open. "And you get in there and talk to your future wife!" Prim shouts and push Peeta into my room.

The door slams behind him and he jumps. He looks at me. I look at him. God this is embarrassing.

"So..." I say.

"So..." He says.

"Hey".

"Hey".

Man this is awkward. I hope it won't be this way when we're _married_.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 _Katniss_

Prince Peeta and I just stare at each other. Neither one of us says anything. I just sit here on my bed and Peeta just stands on the spot he got pushed to. He does have really beautiful eyes. Yeah _so_ blue. Clear and ocean blue eyes.

"I don't hear you talking!" Princess Prim shouts strictly from outside the door.

I hold back my laugh. "We can just babble until she's gone", Peeta sighs.

"I heard that Peeta!" Princess Prim shouts.

"Sorry!" He says and this time I can't hold back my laugh.

I don't know what it is, but when I start laughing, prince Peeta does as well. I stand up and give the prince a deep curtsy. "What are you doing?" He asks surprised.

"What do you think?" I ask.

"You don't have to do that, you're a princess remember", he smiles.

"Right", I say and straighten. "Right I forget sometimes".

He gives me a glance I can't read. What is he thinking? I wish I knew.

"Why'd you stop talking?" Princess Prim's voice shout from outside. Prince Peeta sighs again. "Don't think I can't hear you mister!" She says sternly.

Oh I love this little girl. She's so funny.

"I'm sorry your highness, but we're doing just fine in here, go and play with the deer you love so much", prince Peeta says and I just laugh again as I sit down on the edge of the bed again.

"Fine then", princess Prim says cocky.

Prince Peeta walks up to me. "May I?" He asks looking at the bed.

"Sure", I say and he sits down beside me.

"Look princess, try not to hate me just because you have to marry me okay?" He says.

I look at him. Hate him? He thinks I _hate_ him?

"I don't hate you", I say. "Why would you think that?"

"Well you haven't said a word to me", he says.

"Neither have you", I point out.

"Right... Okay anyway, maybe we should try to just be friends and do this together?" He asks and reach me his head.

I take it.

Immediately when his skin touches my skin I feel electricity flow from my hand to the rest of my body.

"Yeah", I say. "We can be friends".

Prince Peeta smiles and so do I.

"Good", we both say at the same time, causing us both to laugh.

If I had just stayed away for here, Peeta could still try to marry the girl he really want to marry. He don't want to marry me, he's forced to marry me. I don't want to marry are both only seventeen years old. We don't know each other. We are suppose to get to know each other now, before the attack on my castle and then we are suppose to get married. It's like a deadline to get to know someone. How can you get to know someone on a _deadline_?

I really don't know what to do or say. But as prince Peeta said, we should do this together. It wouldn't help to work against each other. It wouldn't take us _anywhere_. I guess that we became betrothed to unite our two kingdoms, make it one big kingdom. Whatever it was, it would have been something different if prince Peeta and I knew each other. For right now we're only strangers.

We look each other in the eyes. I don't know what it is with us, but we seem to always look each other into the eyes. We can't keep our eyes from each other. What's up with that? Yet I don't look away.

The door bursts open and princess Prim jump in. "Ooopsss so I got worried when you got all quiet again", she says.

"Have you been standing outside the door all this time?" I ask.

"Yep".

"Even though I told you to go?" Peeta asks.

"Yep".

"And you've been listening?" I ask.

"At everything we said?" Prince Peeta asks.

Princess Prim sighs frustrated.

"What is that you two don't understand? Yes I've been there all along, god you two are just as thick headed and deserve each other!" And then she walks out.

Okay... She's not at all afraid to say what's on her mind.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 _Katniss_

Prince Peeta is showing me around in the castle. It's really beautiful. It's so much light in the castle. It feels like a home. My castle is so dark and cold. They have so many rooms, and they have so many candles on on the walls. "It's really nice here", I mumble as I let my hand glide along the stone wall.

"What?" Prince Peeta ask.

"Oh nothing, I was just saying that it's really nice here", I say. "You have a very cozy home prince Peeta".

"Please stop calling me that, just call me Peeta", he says.

I smile. "Okay, as long as you only call me Katniss", I say.

"Okay fine, _Katniss_ ", he says.

"Good, _Peeta_ ", I say.

Both of us starts laughing.

"Come here", he says, takes my hand and starts pulling me.

He runs up to a door and opens it. Inside the door, there are stairs, so he starts pulling me up the stairs. It looks like we're in a tower. When we get up he opens another door and we end up the tower. The sun is going down and the view is all orange. So beautiful. The sun is going down behind the high mountains. On the other side of those mountains is my castle, my village and my suffering people. "It's beautiful", I say walking to the edge and put my hand on the railing.

"Yeah it really is", Peeta says, as he comes and stands beside me.

"You're really lucky you know", I say.

"I know, I just wish my mother hadn't pressured me to get married and all, anyway she's not gonna anymore", he says.

"Yeah I know", I say. "I'm sorry about that, if I had died when I was suppose to, you wouldn't".

"No don't say that! It's not awful, I guess it's just like this when you're a prince and a princess", Peeta says. "But don't ever say that it would be better if you died".

I actually like Peeta. He's sweet, he's cute, he's nice, he's kind. He's a good person, and I like that.

We watch as the sun goes down.

"This is actually my favorite color", he says. "Sunset orange".

I look more close at it. Yeah the color really is beautiful. "Yeah it's beautiful", I say.

"Yeah, what's your favorite color?" He asks. I look at him. "Yeah I mean, if we're going to be friends we have to tell each other all the _deep_ stuff", Peeta says.

I raise my eyebrow. "Deep stuff?" I ask.

"Yeah, like the question I just asked, what's your favorite color?" Peeta says.

I shake my head. "I'm sorry Peeta, now you've stepped over the line", I say.

Peeta laughs. "Oh but come on seriously, what is it?" He asks.

"Green", I say.

I not used to tell people stuff about me. I'm not used to talk to people at all for that matter, so when it comes to these stuff, I'm not sure how to handle it. But maybe Peeta is a good start to learn how to talk and act around people, I mean he _is_ going to be my husband. Husband... Only a couple of weeks ago I was a prisoner in my own castle and now I have a fiancé.

"Yeah it's a great color", Peeta says.

Are we suppose to have children as well? I mean I think people will be expecting that since they need a successor. God I don't want children but I'm gonna have to get them... What is happening to me?

"Katniss, I just want you to know that everything is not ruined, we can have lots of fun, I mean we're friends right?" Peeta asks, and puts his hand on top of mine.

As soon as he's hand touches my hand, I feel electricity run through my whole body from my hand. _What the hell is that?_ God this is scary. I've never felt anything like this before. "Yeah no I know", I say.

He smiles at me. I have to say though, he has the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

I don't think that this will be so terrible.

As the sun goes down it gets a bit dark.

"Good", Peeta smiles and wrap his arms around me in a hug.

As Peeta's strong but yet gentle arms wrap around me, I'm surrounded by warmth, and my whole body is full of electricity. I hug him back. This will turn out fine.

I hope so anyway.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 _Katniss_

So today is the ball. Steve, Elsa and Lyre can't be there though. They're going to stay in my room. Even though everyone here loves them, queen Meralla says thay maybe other people won't. They don't mind though, they say that they don't want to go to the ball because human often is quick to judge wild animals. That's true though.

Queen Meralla ordered a ball dress for me, and for Posy. Posy's is adorable. It's red with puffy arms and a fluffy skirt. It's really adorable. She has a pair of red patent shoes and a pair of red shiny gloves that covers her arm up to her elbows. I don't know what my dress looks like. I haven't seen it yet.

It knocks on my door. "Come in", I say.

Peeta comes in through the door. "Your assistance are here now _princess_ ", he says mockingly.

"My assistance? What do you mean dear _prince_?" I shoot back.

He laughs and I just smirk.

"Mom got you assistance, like I have, and Prim and she has also gotten you a stylist, a friend to my stylist Portia, he's name is Cinna, you're going to meet him later, first your assistance will fix your makeup and hair and stuff", Peeta says. "And I have to go because otherwise my assistance will freak".

And with that he leaves with the door open. After a few seconds three short and jumpy people bursts into the room.

"Princess Katniss!" They all sing at the same time as they bow so deep that their noses almost touches the floor.

Oh god what are they doing?

"Oh please, don't do that, hello I'm pleased to meet you", I say.

"Did you hear that? She's _pleased_ to meet _me_!" The boy shouts.

"No she's pleased to meet all of us Flavius!" The girl with golden tattoos instead of eyebrows says.

The other girl with green skin just stands and looks at me. "You're so beautiful", she says.

I try not to blush, but I do. I don't handle compliments very well. "Thanks", I mumble.

"Oh well dear, no come here and sit down", the boy, Flavius says and leads me to the chair.

"Oh my her hair!" One of the girls screams.

"Don't panic Venia, you can fix it", Flavius says.

"Yeah and what am I going to do about her nails?" The other girl says sour, then looks at me. "Don't ever chew your nails again princess, or else I will follow you with a nail file wherever you go, I'm gonna be like a patch!"

For some reason I believe her. So this is the day when I end chewing on my nails. "I do that when I get nervous", I say as an excuse, and it's actually true, so I'm not lying.

"Well those days are now over, we've come to save your life", Venia says. "And Octavia, you can fix her".

I narrow my eyes. Like I would die of chewed nails. My people are starving right this minute, and in here getting my _nails_ done. I just keep my mouth.

After what seems like an eternity, I'm starting to understand that these three little people will never stop talking. I don't think I like them too much. They're like three annoying pets. This is really frustrating and all my energy is going to keep my mouth shut and not tell them off.

"Okay we're done!" Flavius exclaims.

Ugh finally.

"We're going to go and get Cinna for you now!" Octavia shouts.

And with that they run out of the room. Ugh. I walk up and kick my bed. "Urrrgghhh", I shout.

The door opens again and a man comes in. "I can see that your assistance got the best of you", he says chuckles.

"Oh yeaahhh", I say sarcastically.

"They're harmless, but a bit annoying", Cinna says. "You'll get used to them".

"Oh I don't know", I say.

Cinna chuckles again. "Well I have something to cheer you up with", he says. This is where he takes up something. "Okay close your eyes, so I can put it on you", he says.

"Okay", I say.

I close my eyes and feel how he puts something on my body. Then he does something with my hair and it seems like he makes some small changes with my makeup.

"Okay open up", he says. He spins me around so I can see a mirror.

Oh my. I'm wearing a golden puffy dress. It shines and brings up my eye color. Oh how beautiful dress.

"I can't wear this dress", I mumble.

"Why not?" Cinna asks.

"It's too beautiful, I can't make it justice", I mumble.

"Yes you can princess, you're very beautiful, and you _are_ going to wear this dress", Cinna says.

It's not even me in the mirror. It can't be me, I mean... How can it be? I'm not beautiful, the girl in the mirror is _beautiful._

I feel like crying, but I can't because I'll just ruin the makeup. I turn around towards Cinna. "Thank you so much", I whisper.

"Only the best for you my princess", Cinna says.

I smile. "Don't call me that, just call me Katniss", I say.

"Okay deal", Cinna says. "Katniss".

I giggle.

I hear trumpets. The ball has started.

"Time to go", Cinna says and leads me up to the door.

I take a deep breath. Yeah, and in this ball, queen Merallda is going to announce that mine and Peeta's engagement is not broken. I have to just stay calm. I walk out of the room and walk down to the ball room. "This is going to go fine", I whisper to myself.

If only I could believe it...


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 _Katniss_

When I stop outside the doors, someone puts something on my head. A princess tiara. I haven't had one of those since I was six I think.

As I go through the doors I stop. The trumpets starts to sing again. "Princess Katniss Everdeen!" The presenter yells through the room with everyone looking at me.

People are looking at me and staring, whispering... It makes me really very uncomfortable. I see Peeta and queen Merallda with Prim, Post and the boys. I walk up to them slowly and gracefully. They are all staring at me.

"What?" I ask, looking at them. They don't say anything. "Okay I know that I don't look that great but..." I start.

"You're beautiful", Prim says in awe.

"Nooo..."

"Yes!" Everyone says.

"Can I get everyone's attention!" The queen says and it all get's quiet. "Seven years ago, our kingdom got the sad new that the princess of our neighbour kingdom had passed away, that was not true, she is very much alive and therefor her and my son is indeed still betrothed and will get married". Peeta takes my hand and our fingers intertwine with each other. We both smile out over all the people who starts applauding.

The music starts up again. Peeta leads me out onto the dance floor, in a ring of all the people who looks at us. Oh god, I can't dance.

I try to make my feet move in sync with Peeta's.

"I can't dance", I whisper in his ear.

He chuckles. "Don't worry, I'll lead you through it", he says calmly.

And so he does. People around us starts dancing as well and soon everyone are dancing, so the pressure I felt flows off me and instead of dancing propertly, Peeta and I start go goof around as we dance. He spins me and I take a hold of his shoulder as I stop, and laugh. "See you can dance", Peeta says laughing.

"Yeah I guess so", I giggle.

Peeta make things easy, like dancing for example, I haven't had one single dance lesson since I was six years old, and I'm sure Peeta's gotten them his whole life, because he's mom is not a witch and he's a price. A very _handsome_ one, I might add.

As we dance I let my eyes scan the room. Cato, Marvel, Blight and Thresh has found some girls to dance with, Finnick is now dancing with Posy and Gale is dancing with Prim.

I wonder why Gale isn't dancing with a girl in his age, I can see very many of them who aren'tt dancing with anyone, but he choses to dance with little Prim istead. Does he already have a girlfriend? Is that why he won't dance with anyone else? I mean I know why Finnick isn't, but why isn't Gale? He could get any girl of he wanted to. I see the smile on Finnick's lips, it's half hearted. I bet he misses Annie so much, especally now. I can see it in his eyes, he's hurting so much.

"What are you thinking of?" Peeta asks.

"Finnick", I sigh. "I feel so bad for him".

"Why?" Peeta asks.

"He hasn't told you about Annie?"

He shakes his head. That actually suprises me becasue those two has been getting along _very_ well.

"Well he has a girlfriend named Annie", I start. "Back in my kingdom, she lives with his old grandmother Mags, she's ... she's mentally ill because she saw her family get beaten to death by the order of my evil stepmother. People are starving there and Finnick tried to get food by, taking it and not buying it becasue almost everyone are poor and no one can afford food, someone took him in the act and he had fo flee, he couldn't go back to Annie and his grandmother becasue then they would get killed as well, so he just fled".

"Oh my god", Peeta mumbles, looking at Finnick who is still dancing with little Posy. "Oh my god I had no idea, oh my god poor Finnick, poor your kingdom".

"Yeah, I just wish I had known before now", I say. "But how could I when I was a prisonar in my own castle?"

"You couldn't, so do not blame yourself, okay Katniss?" Peeta says.

"Yeah okay", I say and lean my forehead against Peeta's neck and he holds me close.

I get this warm feeling again. Electricity is flowing through my veins and butterflies starts to fly around in my stomach. Oh my god, what is this? What is happening to me? I actually don't know, because I've never felt this way ever before.

Is it normal to feel like this?


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 _Peeta_

Oh god, Katniss is amazing, she's just... _Amazing_. She's such an wonderful and caring person. I know that I'm against what my mother has forced us both into, but I actually think that I could fall in love with this girl, if we get to know each other even better, and if we get enough time alone. Primmy loves Katniss. She says that Katniss is the sister she never had. And to not be rude to me she added that it's nice to have a big brother. Little Primmy.

I can't even imagine all the pain Katniss has been going through and everything her kingdoms has to suffer. Poor people. I only picture my kingdoms like that. My people being the once who suffer. I can't even imagine that happening and to see my people suffer. It's always been peaceful here, so I've never seen destruction, it has to look horrible.

Katniss is so strong, she's actually planning a rebellion against her evil stepmother. My mother and I will do whatever we can. We call our soldiers the rebels, because they are going to fight in the rebellion. After the rebellion Katniss is going to be a queen, and a very good one. She cares so much about other people, if she hadn't, she wouldn't be here.

"You're thinking about her again", I hear my sisters voice.

"What?" I ask turning towards her.

"Katniiiiiiis", she sings loud.

"Shhhh Prim, be quiet!" I hiss.

"You liiiike heeeer", Prim sings and starts to dance around me. "You like her, you like her, you like her, you like her, you like Katniiiiiiiiiis!"

"What?" My eyes widen. I turn my head and see Katniss come walking towards us with Elsa. "Did you want something Primmy?" She asks.

I sigh in relief, she didn't her anything else but her name. But I think Elsa did because she's looking at me weird. Prim looks mischievously at me, thinking about if she should betray me or not. I feel my heart start to pound so hard, trying to make its way out of my chest. "Yeah, I can teach you how to dance", she says after deciding to be a good sister and not betray her older brother.

"But Prim, mother has gotten her teachers", I say.

"I know, but I can be one as well", she says and take Katniss hand.

Katniss smiles looking down at Prim. Oh her smile. Her smile can light up the whole world. "Okay, be my teacher Primmy", Katniss says.

They start to walk away from me. Elsa stands still on the same spot, looking at me and raising an eyebrow. "What?" I ask cocky looking at her as I cross my arms over my chest. "Do you have something to add Elsa?"

She just shakes her head and walks after Katniss and Prim. Elsa is on to me. She knows I may have feelings for my future bride. What if _she_ betrays me and tells Katniss? I can't stop her because Katniss and Posy are the only once who can understand animals. I can't stop Elsa.

Ugh this is frustrating. I walk in a corridor and hear someone mumble something. Who's that? It turns out to be Gale. Just as I'm about to yell and ask who it was, he came walking through the darkness with a sad face. "What happened to you?" I ask.

"I could ask you the same thing", Gale says. "You look three years older".

"I asked first", I insist like a little child.

Gale chuckles sadly. We starts walking down the corridor. "Katniss told me something that didn't make me very happy", he says.

How can she have done that, when she's nothing but wonderful and caring? "Why?" I ask.

Gale sighs. "Yeah well she has a friend in our village, named Madge Undersee, she told me that Madge is collecting rebels and Howard told Katniss that Madge is now wanted, that her face is now all over the whole village", Gale says.

I frown. We really have to do something very, very soon. We can't have it this way anymore. "She's your friend as well?" I ask. He looks down at his feet and shakes his head while I see a pink color start to spread on his cheeks. "Girlfriend?" I ask with a sly smirk.

He nods. "I'm so scared for her, Posy and Madge are the only two I have left, and Katniss of course", he says.

"We're gonna fix this man", I say and pat his back.

"Easy for you to say, you have your girl in a safe place", Gale says.

I feel how my face starts to heat up. What did he just say? My girl? Katniss is certainly not mine to call mine. She is her own. Or I mean, when we're married she'll be my wife, but it wouldn't feel real, without real feelings. Ugh these arranged marriages are really tricky and not so good all of the times. I feel like I already have strong feelings for Katniss, after all of our talks, our times alone... I just haven't figured them out yet. And I don't know if Katniss has feelings or no feelings at all for me, either good or bad. I really wish I knew though, but Katniss is a mystery, if she don't want anyone to know what she's thinking or feeling, she's not letting anyone know. There's one thing I've learned about her. That and how wonderful she is. "She's not _my_ girl", I mumble.

"Okay well fiancé or betrothed or whatever she is", he says. "You know she's safe, I know Madge isn't".

"Well Katniss isn't gonna be safe anymore soon", I say.

And that's true. Soon we're going to start up the rebellion and she's not gonna stay here and be on the side of things. I would want to see the dumb person try to stop her, I would feel sorry for that person.

"I guess that's true", Gale says, knowing he's cousin.

Yeah. It has to be soon. Katniss and Gales village can't take much more. I feel it in my stomach.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 _Katniss_

"Katniss you're only getting better and better", Prim says happily.

We're dancing around in the ball room. I have to admit that Prim is right. I _am_ better at dancing. Before I started with these lessons I was happy if I didn't stomp Peeta on his feet. Yeah we have to be seen a lot with each other. I don't know what I think about that to be honest. That we always have to be together and do everything together. I'm surprised that they don't force us to share a room.

"Come on, hop on", I say to Prim and she stands on my feet.

I dance around with her on my feet. She closes her eyes and laughs. "This is fun!" She laughs happily.

"You're so tiny", I say as I continue to dance with her standing on my feet.

And that's true. She doesn't weight anything. I can easily move around with her feet onto mine. "I know, but I won't always be", she says.

"Let's hope you will", I hear a voice say behind us and I stop moving.

Prim jumps off my feet and I spin around to see my fiancé stand there. "Noooo I want to grow up", Prim says.

"You'll regret wishing that when you do grow up Primmy", Peeta says chuckling.

"Oh no no no", Prim says. "I'm not _you_!"

"Ooohhh that's gotta sting!" I laugh.

Peeta raises one of his eyebrows as he looks at me. I try to look remorse full but I can't because I just burst out in a fit of laughter along with Prim. I've never laughed like this in my life before. Or maybe sometime, but I don't remember that time. I guess I'll remember these times.

"That's not funny", Peeta says.

"Because it's true", Prim says, and then she starts mimicking Peeta's voice. "Oh I wish I was little again. Mom cared about me more when I was little. I wish I didn't have these responsibilities. Primmy you don't know how good you have it! Primmy..."

"Okay! I got it!" Peeta says stopping Prim from going on further.

My guess is that this could go on for a while which only make me trying not to laugh so much harder.

"You've got yourself to blame", Prim says cocky. "You know everything isn't that great when you're small either, mom sees me like a baby".

I know Prim is right. It has its downsides to be a child, but I don't know. I think that if I would have to chose, I would, just like Peeta, pick being a child. It's just easier to be a child. The responsibilities you have as a grown up or teenager can sometimes be overwhelming.

Peeta has this really red color on his face that makes it harder for me not to laugh. He walks up to me. "Can't you just drop it?" He asks.

"Nooo", I say. "I'm sorry, I've just not laughed in so long and now I just can't control it". He touches my side and it tickles. I jerk and he looks at me. "It tickled", I say.

"Oh", he says and suddenly gets something evil in his eyes. "So you're ticklish?"

"No!" I say quickly stepping back from him.

"Yes you are", he says coming closer.

I continue to back and he continues to walk closer and closer to me, with his hands in front of him.

"Stay away from me Mr. Prince", I say.

"Oh no Princess", he says laughing evilly.

I start running and Peeta runs after me. He catches up to me and starts tickling me. I slide down onto the floor and Peeta sits on top of me as he continues to tickle me. I burst out laughing so loud, I can't contain myself. I hate that I'm so ticklish. That's my weakest spot. And Peeta just figured that out. He continues to tickle me. "S-stop!" I laugh.

"Why?" He asks. "You laughed at me".

"I'm sorry!" I laugh.

Peeta stops tickling me. "You're sorry?" He asks sounding fake angry. "You think a sorry would patch up the wound you put into my heart".

"Drama queen", I mumble,

He lifts his hands again.

"No no I'm sorry", I say.

He puts my hands over my head.

"You mean that?" He asks and now I see that _he_ has a hard time not to laugh.

"Yeeeeaaahhhh", I say, not meaning it.

I look him deep in his eyes and suddenly my smile fades away. He's eyes really _are so beautiful_. My stomach starts to bubble and tickle. What's that about? Peeta's smile fades away and he looks at me differently. I don't know how to read this look. I wonder what he's thinking. I really do. Do I have feelings for this boy? I don't know. What does feelings feel like?

Someone clears her throat. Prim. Peeta slides off me sitting down on the floor. His lips closed together with force and all red in his face. I feel my own face start to heat up like crazy. Oh god, this is embarrassing.

Prim just looks at me and Peeta smiling. What's up with her?


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 _Katniss_

We're ready. Everything is ready. We're on our way to my kingdom now.

Peeta and I are leading the knights, since Peeta is the crown prince and I'm his princess. I'm not just a princess now, I'm _his_ princess, since we're getting married when all of this is over. Married. God I'm only seventeen, soon eighteen. I'm just saying, if I ever have kids, I'm not gonna force them to marry someone they do not want to marry. And screw the laws of marrying another royalty. Love can't know who's royal and who's not. Two heart should bring two people together, not two parents.

"What are you thinking about?" I hear Peeta's voice who brings me back to life.

"Huh?" I ask, looking at him.

He's on his house, that is walking closely beside mine. We're not traveling fast, we don't have to, the way we're taking now is much faster then the way the boys and I took. The boys are right behind us. Elsa, Sven and Lyre are at the castle with Queen Merallda, Prim and little Posy. Howard is like always sitting on Gale's shoulder. I can't believe how Gale can put up with that evil owl. I swear that he's out to get me.

"It looks like you're somewhere far away", Peeta chuckles. "Deep thoughts?"

I sigh. "Yeah I guess", I say. "I just... We're young".

I think he knows what I'm talking about, because he nods understanding. "I know, trust me I've had my doubts about getting married", he says.

He has? He always seem so sure and calm. "You have?" I ask.

"Of course, I've always wanted to find my own bride, and get drawn by emotions, not family, and not get married at this age", he says. "I can't explain how many times I've tried to explain that to my mother, she just wouldn't cave. But since we're honest here, I'm not sad that we're getting married, you're pretty amazing, so it could have been worse".

Yeah. Yeah he's right it could have been worse. I could have ended up with a horrible boy, or dead. I mean I guess I still can end up dead, but I'm not going to. I want a future. I smile at Peeta. "Yeah you're right, and just so you know, you're pretty amazing yourself", I say.

We continue the travel for a few hours.

Then Peeta stops his horse.

"We're here", he says.

I look out over the village. Oh my god. Houses has burnt, and there's ashes everywhere. We ride into the the village. The crying and devastated people are looking at us. They look closer at me then the others. When we're in the middle of the village we stop. Peeta and I in the front. "I'm princess Katniss", I say. "I know my stepmother told you all I was dead. That information was incorrect. I'm alive. She kept me locked up in the castle. I didn't know what was going on here, and once I figured it out, I traveled to our neighbor kingdom to ask for help. They agreed. They've come for me to take back my kingdom and make the lives of my people better". The people are crying, cheering as they are shocked to find out I'm alive.

"Katniss!" Madge. I see her. "Look out!" She yells and points.

An arrow shoots right past my head and into a tree, only a millimeter from getting into my head. I'm fast I shoot and arrow at the one shooting towards me. I kill the man instantly.

"The rebellion has started!" Madge shouts. "For princess Katniss!"

"For princess Katniss", everyone sings.

"Women and children hide in the forest!" Peeta yells as he jumps off his horse. I jump off mine.

My wicked stepmothers knights, storms the village and the war has started. The men from the village stays to help. Madge disappeared from my sight, I start looking for her. "Madge!" I scream, trying to get past all of the people, fighting, shooting arrows, beating others to death. "Madge!" I can't find her. I have to keep her safe for Gale's sake.

"Madge!" I hear the voice of my cousins.

Seconds later I run into my cousin. "I'll find her", I say as I shoot an arrow straight through the eye of a knight who was pointing an arrow towards Gale. "Concentrate on not getting killed!"

I smile evilly at the last thing I said and he gives me a quick hug before he drills an arrow throw the throat of another knight. _Yeah we're definitely related_ , I think as I start running again, searching after Madge.

"Daddy!" I hear a little girl shout. "Daddy? Where are you?"

I stop my feet so fiercely that the dust starts dancing around my feet, crawling it's way up to my head. Embracing me. I cough as I look to after the girl. And then I see her I forget everything and run up to her. She reminds me of Peeta's little sister Prim. Just the same hight, and age. But I get there too late. Just as I arrive a spear drills through her stomach. "NO!" I scream as I shoot an arrow through the evil man who killed an innocent little child.

I take the girl in my arms. "Katniss!" Peeta comes running towards me. He's bleeding from his right cheek. And he's dirty.

"He killed her, she was an innocent little child", I cry as I look at the girl in my arms.

"Rue?" A man shouts. "Baby answer me!" The man sees us and runs up to us. "No..." He cries.

"I'm so sorry sir, I tried to save her, but I didn't get to her in time", I cry.

He takes his daughter into he's arms. Stands on he's knees, screaming as he looks up to the sky.

"Katniss look out!" Peeta yells as he takes a hold of me and force the both of us down on the ground.

The arrows shoots through the back of Rue's father.

"No no no", I whisper as tears flow down my ways. Peeta and I crawl on the ground trying to get somewhere we can stand up without getting shot. But somewhere I loose Peeta. "Peeta!" I shout, close to panic. "Where are you?" Please don't be dead. I reach a tree and lean my back onto it as I raise with my arrow ahead of me, ready to shoot. And that's when I see it. The arrow that drills through the throat of Cato. "NOO!"I shout as I run up to him. "Cato hold on, don't die please". But it's too late. He's dead.

I look around searching for Peeta and sees how Marvel gets knocked out by a spear and falls dead on the ground, and Blight takes an arrow through his head. I fall down on the ground beside Cato's corpse. Three of my friends died. Three. In the matter of seconds. And I saw it happen. I can't believe this. I'm not as strong as I thought. I can't handle this. The ground is painted with the blood. So much blood. So much death. When this is all over, a lot of people will grief the loss of their loved once. I'm gong to be one of them.

Gale please be safe. Finnick please stay alive. Thresh don't die. You're the only once left from the boys I once found in the woods.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

 _Katniss_

I'm huddled down beside Cato's corpse. I could use him as a shield to protect me. But I would never do that. I _can't_ do that. Tears just continues to flow down my eyes and I'm starting to regret that I came with. Peeta tried to tell me to stay in the castle, but I gave him a look that shut him up. And I do want to help, but seeing my friends die, is not fun.

I think of how angry Prim was when we told her not to come with us here. What if she had come with us? All her innocence would be gone and she would not be the same happy girl. War changes people. These hours has changed me more then my whole life locked up in a castle. I try to stop the tears, but I just can't. I burry my face into Cato's lifeless arm, not wanting to see all the people dying.

"Princess Katniss! What are you doing?" I hear a girl shout, and right after, someone takes a hold of my arm pulls me up. I look at the girl, she looks like she's my age. She has black short hair, and a bloody axe in her hand. It's dripping blood from it. She pulls me with her and runs behind a house. "What were you thinking? Lying in the middle of the battlefield like that, not even trying to defend yourself. Do you want to get killed? What future does the village have if you die?!" The girl asks furiously.

"I'm sorry, I got shocked after seeming my friends getting killed", I say.

The girl throws her axe onto a guy who was pointing a spear towards us. "People die in wars!" She says running up to get her axe. I follow her.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Johanna", she says. "Mason, my father was your fathers personal guard, the queen killed him after your father died".

Oh no. "I'm so sorry", I say. She shrugs. I see a man on his way to drill someone with a spear. I recognize that someone immediatly. "NO!" I yell as I run as fast as I can and shoot the man straight into his heart.

"Thanks Katniss", Gale says.

"You have to be prepared!" I yell. "You can't just die on me! Cato, Marvel and Blight already got killed in front of me!"

"What?!" Gale shouts in a shaky voice. "They're dead?"

"Yeah", I say.

"Look out!" Johanna yells and Gale and I both shoot the two men pointing at us.

"Have you found Madge?" Gale asks.

"Not yet, but I'm looking", I say.

"I'll go with you, it's in my _blood_ to protect you!" Johanna says.

"Huh?" Gale asks confused.

"Her father was my fathers personal guard", I tell him.

"Oh", he says.

"Come on, we can't just stand here, are you brainless or something?" She asks as she starts nudging my arm.

She's starting to remind me of Howard. Brainless? I mean come on! I want to find two people. Madge and Peeta. I don't want them to die, Madge is my friend, and I'm going to marry Peeta. But where the are they? Johanna and I run and search everywhere, killing numbers of knights, I can't even count on my hands. But we can't find them.

"What does she look like?" Johanna asks.

"She's blonde", I say.

"Yeah and that helps me a lot", Johanna says sarcastically.

I sigh. How should I describe her? But then I don't have to, because I see her. "Madge!" I yell and runs up to her, she has just killed a guy.

"Katniss!" She runs up to me and hugs me. "I've been looking for you!"

"I've been looking for _you_ ", I say.

"Okay okay hurry up!" Johanna says impatiently. "We can't just stand here!"

"Oh and Gale says hi", I say as we run.

"What?" She asks.

"Yeah Gale, you know _your_ boyfriend _my_ cousin, he's here", I say.

"How? And yeah now I see the resemblance", Madge says.

"You can talk _later_!" Johanna says and stops, making us look at her. "I don't want to die because of you, and that is what's going to happen if you can't concentrate, so please focus!"

Johanna is right. We're in the middle of a war. And if me make a single mistake, we'll die.

"Duck!" Madge shouts and the three of us throws our bodies onto the ground and crawl forward.

Johanna sands up slowly with her axe ready to stab someone.

"Come on", she says and we stand up.

I shoot a guy that was head towards us. I start to call after Peeta. Every second I get more and more nervous. Is he dead? Am I not going to get married? Where _is_ he? "Peeta?" I shout. "Peeta?!" Everywhere we run, people drop dead from both sides. Both good and bad. I don't like it. Its lives gone. Families shattered. But after the war life will be good for my people again. I hope. If we don't win, it's hard. But we _are_ going win, the numbers on the evil side are getting reduced. "Madge watch out!" I shout as I drill an arrow through a guy with a spear.

"Thanks!" She says as she stabs another one with a knife.

We're a good team.

After I don't know how long time, the wicked queens knights starts retreating. They know they're loosing. I find my horse. I sit up onto it and raise my bow over my head. "THEY ARE RETREATING! WE'VE WON!" I roar and everyone starts shouting and cheering.

I see Peeta come running towards me. He's bleeding from his lip, eyebrow and arm. But even though he's hurt, he has the biggest smile on his face. When he's beside my horse he hold out his arms. I slide down from my horse and into Peeta's welcoming arms. He hugs me tight. "I thought you were dead, I couldn't find you", I say as I hug him tight back.

"Oh I can't miss our wedding now can I?" Peeta chuckles.

"I guess not", I laugh.

"LONG LIVE PRINCESS KATNISS!" People all around us starts shouting. "LONG LIVE PRINCE PEETA!"


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 _Katniss_

"Madge, this is Peeta, my friend and my betrothed", I say introducing Peeta and Madge. "Peeta this is Madge, she was my best friend when we were children".

"It's nice to meet you your highness", Madge says and curst to Peeta.

"It's nice to see you too Madge", Peeta says smiling.

I see Gale walking around looking for something. "I'll be right back", I tell them both and run over to Gale. "We did it", I say and hug my dear cousin.

"Yeah, not without losses though", he says, and I can hear the lump in his throat.

"I know, I'm never going to be able to get the pictures out of my head, how I saw them die right in front of my eyes", I say, feeling a knot in my stomach grow.

"It must have been horrible", he says.

"I was", I say. "Let's think about something else, I found someone I think you'd like to meet". I take his hand and drags him with me. He's heavy to drag, so it takes me a while. But then I come up to Madge, Johanna and Peeta. "Madge I think you know my cousin Gale right?" I ask.

He looks at her as if she's a ghost. "What happened to you?" Gale asks.

"Starvation", Madge mumbles.

"No more of that though, I heard the queen fled", Johanna says.

"Yeah no more starvation", I say.

"Yeah and my mother is going to send food until we can get everything going around here", Peeta says. "We've got carriges on the way right now".

I notice a tension between Gale and Madge. It's making me feel uncomfortable. "Come on guys, you haven't seen each other in so long", I say. "It's okay to look different".

"It's not that", Gale says.

"Then what is it?" I ask.

"I don't care what she looks like", Gale says. "But after thinking she was dead all this time, and now seeing her... It feels so unreal".

Madge has tears flowing down her eyes. "I though you were dead too", she whispers.

She walks up to Gale and take his hands. They're looking at each other so deeply. I lean against Peeta and he put his arms around me protectively.

Thresh comes up to us.

"Hey guys", he says. "Where are Cato, Marvel and Blight?"

"Gone", I mumble.

"What? No", Thresh says.

"Yes, I saw it happen and couldn't do anything", I say, putting my face deeply into Peeta's chest.

"They wouldn't want you to be sad though, they're from here, they're just happy they died trying to save our home", Johanna says. "I know it".

"I guess", Thresh says sadly. "Still though".

I peek up from Peeta's chest and sees the way Johanna and Thresh are looking at each other. Hm... I see Madge lean in towards Gale and kiss him. That's really cute. "Where is Finnick?" I start to get nervous because I haven't seen him.

"He went looking for Annie and his grandmother, Thresh says.

"Oh I hope he finds them", I whimper.

The story about Finnick's girlfriend is just so heart breaking. I really hope they can be together again. Peeta tightens his hold of me. I feel safe when I am with Peeta or in his arms. And lately I've felt this tickling feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it means though. I lean my head back down onto Peeta's chest and take a deep breath.

"Guys!" We hear someone shout. I hear on the voice that it's Finnick. I look up and see him come walking with a young red headed girl and a gray haired old lady.

"Finnick!" I say.

"Katniss this is Annie and my grandmother Mags", Finnick says.

Annie is _beautiful_. Red hair with very green eyes, they're big and bright green. Finnick has green eyes but more like seaweed green. Mags is short but cute.

"It's so nice to met you", I say happily and break free from Peeta's arms. "Finnick has told me so much about you".

I give Annie a warm hug. "It's an honor to meet you princess Katniss", Annie says.

"Oh no please just call me Katniss", I say. She smiles at me. I turn to Mags. "You have a really great grandson", I smile.

She smiles proudly and nods.

"Oh she can't speak", Finnick says.

Oh. "Oh", I say and hug her. "Doesn't matter".

I sent Howard to Peeta's kingdom with a letter, telling Queen Merallda that were on our way back and that we won. And that my wicked stepmother fled. When we're back at the castle we see that Queen Merallda has sent people with food over to my kingdom. I put Johanna in charge of everything until I get back.

"Katniss!" Prim shouts as we enter the castle.

Prim comes running with Posy in her arms. Steve, Elsa and Lyre walks beside her. Prim puts Posy down and Posy runs up to Gale who pick her up and hugs her so tight and lovingly. Prim throws herself into my arms and I hug her back tightly.

She hugs Peeta and then looks at us. "Oh Peeta you're hurt", she says.

"Oh it's nothing serious", he says.

Prim looks at everyone. She frowns. "Where's Cato, Marvel and Blight?" She asks.

"They're dead, they got killed", I say.

Her eyes grows.

"What?"

We stay silent. Until we hear the voice of Peeta's and Prim's mother.

"Katniss! Peeta!" She pulls us both in for a hug. "We can start to plan the wedding", she says happily.

She takes Prim's hand and they walk off talking.

"Gees, she didn't even last ten minutes after we came home", Peeta says and sighs. "My mother is wedding crazy".

I laugh and put my arms around his waist. He put his arms around me. "But I'm not scared of it anymore", I say.

"Well that's a good, I hope", Peeta chuckles.

"Oh believe me, when it comes to me, that's a good thing", I say.

"Great then", he says and kisses my forehead.

When his lips touch my forehead the warmth spreads throughout my body and makes sparks fill me from the inside with birds flying around in my stomach.

* * *

I hear a knock on my door. I walk to open it. An old lady stands there. I guess that she's from the kitchen. She has a tray with tee and an apple. "Here you go my princess", she says and hands me the plate. "Oh thank you so much", I say smiling big at her. "You're very kind".

"You know dear, this apple, is not a ordinary apple", the old lady says. "It's a magic wishing Apple".

"What?" I ask looking at her.

"It's a magic wishing apple, you wish for something and then take a big bite, and then your wish comes true", the lady says.

"Really?" I ask doubtful.

"Yeah, try it", she says.

Hmm.. Why not? It's not like I have anything to lose even if this lady is insane. I make a wish and take a big bite of the apple. I feel really weird right away. I get hard to breathe and a cold beyond what I ever felt before spreads through my veins. I put my hands to my throat trying to breathe and I see that the lady is laughing. The next thing I know, I fall to the ground and everything goes black before my eyes.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 _Peeta_

My mother is driving me crazy! She's on me every single second about the wedding. She says she wants to have it as soon as possible. Why? Why does she want to have the wedding as soon as possible? Isn't it enough to know that we have to? At this point I don't really care that I have to marry Katniss. Honestly, I'd be happy to marry her. She has come to mean a lot to me now, and I do have strong feelings for her. But I still don't like it when my mother nags on me about it. She's nagging a whole in my head. I drop down on a chair in the big dining room beside Finnick, who's already sitting there with Annie.

"What up man?" Finnick chuckles.

"Is there maybe a change I can hire you to kidnap my mother and keep her away until the wedding is over?" I ask irritated, looking at him.

Finnick laughs. "I'm afraid I can not do that", he says.

"Ugh what am I going to do?" I whine and drop my head onto the table.

"Careful prince, you're going to hurt yourself", Annie says.

"Yeah, maybe I'll get a concussion and have to stay in bed until the wedding", I mutter into the table.

"Eh it could be worse", Finnick says.

"No!" I say.

"Yeah it could, someone could be ... Um, dying ... Or something", he says.

I start laughing and raise my head to look up at him. "Oh that's all you have to come up with?" I ask.

"Eh?" He says and that only makes me laugh even more.

Okay I've really gone mad now. That wasn't even funny and yet I'm laughing my lungs out. "Oh please", Gale says, coming into the dining room. "Peeta that wasn't even funny".

"I know", I laugh. "Trust me, I know it wasn't funny, I think I've just gone mad!"

"His mother won't leave him alone with this wedding talk", Finnick explains.

"Speaking of wedding", Gale says. "Where's the bride?"

I stop laughing. Now that's a question I can not answer. I really don't know where she is. I looked for her before coming in here. "I don't know, I were hoping she was gonna be here", I say.

"Oh, loosing her already are you?" Gale asks, chuckling.

"That's not even funny", I say sadly. "She said she wanted to go rest on her room or something like that I think, now that I think about it".

"So why not go looking there?" Finnick asks.

"Because my mother said that she was going to go get her for dancing lessons or something but I can't find either one of my mother or Katniss", I say. "It's pretty nice to not hear her nag about the wedding but I'm getting suspicious, it's been almost half an hour".

"Hm..."

"Peeta!" I turn around to see my little sister Prim. She comes running into the dining room. She's crying. "Peeta you have to come", she says as she stops in front of me and starts pulling my arm. "Come on, come on! You have to come! Come on!"

I stand up. "Wait Primrose! Calm down!" I say raising my voice. "What happened?"

"It's Katniss! Oh Peeta come on something terrible happened", she cries and starts pulling my arm again.

"What?" Gale and I shout at the same time.

"Come on!" She yells.

We follow her. She's running really fast and she does have these low high heels on her feet. Maybe running in those is something princesses learns from toddler age.

I'm really starting to panic right now. Prim is so upset over something and she says that something terrible happened, that involves Katniss. When we come up to Katniss room we see guards lead out a struggling old lady. "What the..." Gale starts.

"That the wicked queen, she's just in a disguise", Prim says. "Come on, hurry!"

We run into the room and see Madge and my mother by the bed. And onto the bed lies Katniss. Her eyes closed and her chest _not_ moving slightly up and down. "No..." I mumble rushing up to the bed. "What happened?"

Madge hold up an apple in her hand.

"I don't get it", I say.

"Neither do we", Madge says.

I look at Katniss, is she dead? My eyes starts watering. This can't be happening. "No no no no", I say, and put my hand on hers. She's as cold as ice. And her skin is even paler then it already was. Her lips are no longer as red as blood and her hair isn't as black as ebony. Her hair is pale and her lips are light pink. She looks so different, yet she looks the same. This is when my tears flow down my eyes. I didn't even get to tell her I love her. I thought we would have a whole lifetime together.

"Peeta..." My mother puts a hand on my arm but I shake it away.

"Just don't okay?" I say. "Just don't, you don't understand".

"We know you love her", my mother says and Madge nods. "Everyone can see it, only she couldn't".

"And now I don't get to tell her", I say, my tears dripping down onto Katniss hand.

"It's never to late", Madge says. "Maybe she can hear you from where she is".

 _Yeah right_. I just lean down towards her face and put my lips onto her cold once. I kiss her cold lips and my tears drips down on her beautiful face. I straighten myself. "Now I never get to know what her lips would feel like agaisnt mine if they are actually alive, I never get to feel her warmth again or her tiny body against mine", I cry, turning towards my mother, Prim, Madge, Gale, Finnick and Annie. "I will never be able to look her into her beautiful eyes and tell her how beautiful I really think she is, or how kind and great she is, or how good of an heart she has. And I never get to the her how she makes me feel or how insanely in love I am with her".

"Um Peeta..." Finnick starts, drying his tears, he's eyes are in shock.

"What? It's true, I love her with all my heart and I..."

"Peeta?"

I jump and turn around to see Katniss sitting up. The black ebony color is back in her hair and her lips are as red as blood. Her skin is pale, but in the right color. She looks like she's woken up from a deep sleep. "Oh my god!" I take her hand in mine. "Oh my god you're alive, but how?"

"Maybe it was your kiss", Prim says drying her tears. "Maybe your kiss saved her. A true loves kiss, oh that sound like something from a fairytale".

My baby sister...

"I love you", Katniss says.

 _What?_ "Huh?"

"I said I love you", she says. "I heard what you said and I love you as well, I've just not dared to tell you that because you've been so against marriage and..." I make her to stop talking by pressing my lips onto hers. Her lips are now warm. Only a few minutes ago I couldn't feel life at all in her, now she's glowing with life.

Do I believe in miracles? Maybe I do, because this sure is one.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 _Katniss_

Today is the day of my coronation. I'm going to be a queen, and that makes me very nervous. I've always been a princess. For the most of my life as everyone else knew, I was a _dead_ princess. But still, a princess. Princess Katniss, not queen Katniss. I want to be the queen. To make things better for my people. But what if I'm not good enough? What if I make mistakes? I'm scared to let my people down. Peeta tells me to just relax and just believe in myself. But that's the thing, I'm not that good at believing in myself. Peeta makes it more possible though. Having him believing in me, I'm starting to believe in myself more and more. It really helps to have someone by your side.

My evil stepmother is dead. She was sentenced to death for attempted murderer on me. And I can't say that I'm _too_ sad about that.

Now before the coronation I have my tiara, and during the coronation I will revive the beautiful queen crown. The one my mother wore on her head when she was still alive. I hope my mother an father are proud of me now. Proud of the fact that I've saved their kingdom, saved their people, _my_ kingdom, _my_ people. I don't want anything else but to make my parents proud of me. If they are up in heaven, looking down smiling at me, I hope they are proud.

I don't know why, but I look up and smile. I wanna believe that they are up there, watching and protecting me. Maybe I would've already been dead if they hadn't been up there watching me. I don't know. I don't know if I believe in that stuff. I just... I want to believe in _something_. I stand up and walk out of my room. I walk down the hall to a window. I look out over the mil long yard and see how people are streaming in through the gates towards the castle.

The nervousness that I'm feeling is slowly talking over my legs. "Katniss are you alright?"

I turn around to see the deer Elsa standing behind me. "Yeah", I sigh. "I'm just nervous, that's all".

"Yeah that's understandable", Elsa says and sits down.

"Yeah soon I'm going to have all these responsibilities", I say.

"Not more then you already had a few months ago, you've been taking good care of everything and everyone, it's just now when you've turned eighteen you're old enough to be the queen", Elsa says.

"Yeah, I think that's what scares me", I say. "And soon I'll be married and Peeta and I will rule this kingdom together and our two kingdoms will be united and I just... It's all too _much_ ".

"Yeah but Katniss, you're marrying a guy that actually loves you, so it doesn't really matter that it was arranged from the beginning, you broke the arrangement and just went on true love instead", Elsa says, looking at me with her big brown eyes, and her nose in the air as she stretches her neck. She look back at me and continues. "So he'll have your back, he'll help you and you'll have _his_ back and you'll help _him_ , maybe it took you a while to understand your feelings about each other is because you both were against an arranged marriage".

Maybe what Elsa says is true. Maybe she has a point. My deer is so clever. I walk up to her and wrap my around around her neck in a hug. "I love you Elsa, you always know what to say", I say.

She licks my cheek. "Of course I do, I'm a mother", she says proudly.

I laugh and sit on Elsa's back, both of my legs dangling down her right side. She starts walking down the hall. "Speaking of which, where is Lyre?" I ask.

"Last time I saw him he was helping down in the ballroom together with Posy and Prim", Elsa says.

"Ahh, Lyre and Posy do have a special bond", I say.

"Yeah, they're cute", Elsa says.

"Yeah they are", I say.

"Who is what?" I hear Gale's voice.

He comes walking towards me smiling. He has had a hard time to stop smiling since he got Madge back.

"Posy and Lyre, that they're cute together", I say, and Elsa buffs her head into Gale's side and he puts a hand onto his head, stroking it.

"Ah yeah they really _are_ ", Gale says and starts walking along with us. "Lyre is like an older brother to her, of course it would be nice if I could understand what they say when they talk, looks at me and starts laughing".

"Yeah I can't help you with that, unless you want to become a girl", I say laughing.

"Um... No thanks I'm good", Gale says.

Elsa and I giggles. We've all been more happy since my stepmother died. Especially me, I feel so free now.

* * *

A few hours later I'm standing in front of everyone. The priest talking and changing from my tiara to my crown. And I get the spire.

After the ceremony there's a party. I'm now the queen. The queen. Soo Peeta is going to be the king, after marrying me. And we'll rule my kingdom together and we'll cooperate with his mother. I think about what Elsa said and she's right. We did break the arrangement without breaking off the wedding. Which we weren't allowed to do anyways. "What are you thinking about?" Peeta asks me as we're dancing in the circle of people. Everyone looking at the two of us.

"About what Elsa told me", I say.

"And what's that?" Peeta asks curiously.

We're only talking so we're the only once that can hear it.

"She told me that we broke the arranged wedding without actually breaking it _off_ ", I say and Peeta twirls me around, and then pulls me back to his body.

"How so?" He asks confused.

"Yeah, because it was arranged, but we ended up loving each other either way", I say. "And Elsa has a theory that because we both were so against arranged marriages, it took time for us to actually understand that we love each other, and that we pushed it away because we thought that it was the worst thing that could have happened".

Peeta starts smiling. "Elsa is a very clever deer", he chuckles.

I put my head on Peeta's shoulder and we continue to dance. "Yeah, she is", I say.

"But for the record, I knew I had strong feelings towards you from the start", Peeta says. "I just didn't want to destroy anything".

"I had strong feelings for you too", I say.

"But now I can tell you without doubt", Peeta says slowly and I look up at him. "That I love you with all my heart".

"And I love you with everything that I am", I say.

Peeta leans in to kiss me. He's lips feels so warm against mine and I sink into the kiss. I ignore the applause from all the people around us. I start thinking about the future. And the next thing on the schedule, is a wedding.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 _Katniss_

The women I see in the mirror can't possibly be me. It just can't. It's too surreal. I have a white long dress, and a bridal vail down my back and I swear it's a mil long. A tiara is holding the vail in place on top of my head. My make up is casual and pretty, it makes me look lighter, but with blood red lips.

I close my eyes. This day is the day I get married. And I don't know what to think about it. I'm happy I'm marrying Peeta it's just... I think it's all too soon. If we could've just waited a few more years. But he's mother really wanted it to be now.

I sigh and the door opens. "It's time my queen", a man says.

I nod and walks casually out of the room with my hands together over my stomach. I'm going to walk down the isle myself. Before me my ten bridesmaids are going to walk down the isle and then my flower girl. Posy. And after me, holding my veil are children. Queen Merallda arranged everything. I just go with what she wants. She's going to be my mother-in-law after all.

I'm standing outside, waiting. My parade of bridesmaids with Prim in the front walks down the isle, and then my flower girls with Posy in the front. I take a deep breath. Trying to ignore my nervousness. My legs are shaking. I take another deep breath before starting to walk down the isle. As I walk I se him. _Peeta_. He meet my eyes with his. And my nervousness just vanishes. Just like that. Just with one look from Peeta and I'm more confident then ever.

* * *

After the ceremony, there a big party. The biggest party I have ever been a part of.

And I'm actually very happy. I haven't been happy for the biggest part of my life. Actually I've been pretty miserable. And I've seen my friends die in front of my eyes. And I know that something in the future may make me sad. But right now, in this moment, I'm very happy.

Right now I'm standing in front of a table with a mountain of wedding gifts. This is all for me an Peeta. They are both big and small. The biggest one is as tall as me, and the smallest one is not even the size of my hand. I can't believe that this is all for us. I mean what are we going to do with all of this? We are two people.

"Well hello there mrs queen", I hear a voice behind me.

I twirl around and see Madge stand there with a smile. "Hello yourself", I say. "So when are you planning on marrying my cousin?"

She laughs. "Well if he could decide it would be tomorrow, but I don't know", she says. "It's a happy occasion, maybe I'll save it to the next bad thing that's gonna happen".

I take her hand and we start walking around inside the party with all of the dancing, talking and laughing guests. "You know Madge, you can't think like that", I say. "You have to live for now, believe me, I spent almost my whole life locked inside a castle and you all thought I was dead".

"Yeah, I guess, maybe I'll marry him", she giggles.

"We're going to be family", I say. "Can't wait", I see Peeta. He and Gale are dancing with Posy and Prim. So cute. "Look", I say to Madge pointing at them.

"Aww". We walk up to them. "Okay now I think I'll have to marry you, this was the cutest thing I've ever seen", Madge says to Gale

Gale smiles the happiest smile I've ever seen him smile.

"Finally!" He says and kisses her.

I laugh. Peeta pulls me to him and kisses my forehead. I lean my head onto his shoulder and feel that I'm lucky to have him.

* * *

I'm nervous again. It's mine and Peeta's first night alone as a married couple. I'm eating a strawberry. I love strawberries. They're my favorite berry.

Peeta comes into the bedroom yawning. He's so cute when he's yawning. He takes off his shirt and I turn away my eyes blushing. That was one good looking body. Oh my god. "You know, I am your husband now, you don't have to be ashamed", he says gently but I can hear the mocking smile in his voice.

I look at him, and raise my right eyebrow. "And you're right, you _are_ my husband", I say and stand up. Without warning, I just rip off my shirt. Peeta swallows hard. I smile devilish. I walk up to him and put my finger onto his mouth. "What did you say?" I whisper.

"Um... I-I... Um..." He swallows hard again.

I take his hands gently and places them into my breasts. "I am your wife now Peeta, don't be embarrassed", I say when I see that he's face is starting to get red. Before I know it Peeta picked me up from the floor. I scream laugh as he run with me towards the bed. He throws me down onto the bed and jumps over me. "What are you going to do to me?" I laugh.

"Something I've wanted to do for a while now", he says and attaches his lips to mine.


	30. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

The years flew by. Katniss and Peeta took over Katniss kingdom, ruling it and their united kingdom with queen Merallda's dear friend's daughter, who took over her kingdom. She got a son named Hubert.

In time Katniss gave birth to a baby boy that got the name Stefan. Who filled Katniss and Peeta's life with sunshine. Because of complications during the birth of their son, Katniss and Peeta weren't able to have more children. Stefan were all that they had and was their everything. Stefan was a wild child. He was curious about everything life had to offer him. He examined everything he passed and always wanted to know more. He's laughter always filling the big castle that is mostly empty of people. Stefan had ebony colored hair like his mother, and blue eyes like his father.

As a child Stefan didn't know anything about he's parents past. As he grew older he started to understand more. And Stefan grew up proud to be the son of his parents. He had heard the stories about his mother and his evil step-grandmother. When Stefan became a teenager he started to train a lot and wanted to be worthy of his parents. To show them that when the time comes, he'll take care of the kingdom just the way they had. He would cherish the kingdom his mother and father fought to protect.

There was a girl. Stefan loved her with all his heart. Leah. The daughter of Annie and Finnick Odair. Friends of his parents. She was hard to get, very independent. It took many years for Stefan to win her heart over.

The kingdom loved Stefan. He spread joy around them, always helping everyone who needed it. He was a dreamy and good looking prince. The boys in the kingdom wanted to be exactly like him, dressed up like him and mimicking him. Stefan was heart broken when he's parents died. They died in an horse and carriage accident. Stefan was only nineteen years old, and was old enough to be the new king.

Years flew by, and everyday Stefan took good care of his kingdom, to honor his dead parents, the once that had always loved and cared for him. And they were no longer there with him.

Leah finally agreed on marrying Stefan, after he asked about five times. They were happy together. Very happy actually. The only thing missing was a child. But it didn't seem like they could get any, and their hopes almost blew away with the wind after years of trying. But finally the day came. The day when their daughter was born. Stefan and Leah couldn't be more happy. She filled their lives with sunshine. They named her Aurora.

But you may know her by a different name, Little Briar Rose, better known as, Sleeping Beauty.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I hope that you all enjoyed this story, and I wanted to thank you for reading it.**

 **Thanks, and I hope you'll read other books I'll put up here.**

 **-Josephine**


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